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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23824702">How to be an evil father for dummies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenithy31/pseuds/Serenithy31'>Serenithy31</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lucifer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angels, Angst and Romance, Bad Decisions, Chloe Decker Finds Out, Cute Trixie Espinoza, Dark Past, Domestic Fluff, Drama &amp; Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, Everybody loves Trixie Espinoza, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt Chloe Decker, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Lucifer Feels, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) is Bad at Feelings, Past Abuse, Possessive Lucifer, Protective Chloe Decker, Protective Lucifer, Protective Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), Single Parents, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smart Trixie Espinoza, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trixie Espinoza &amp; Mazikeen Friendship, dorksinlove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:34:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>61,294</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23824702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenithy31/pseuds/Serenithy31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The brunet's eyes open with enthusiasm as she frantically moves in the street, disturbing her best friend in the process.  The sign glows in white letters with a single written word. LUX. Trixie likes it. "I heard the people talking outside. They say he gets anything that a person wants."<br/>Trixie sucks in a breath."Like a magician?"<br/>Megan laughs, shrugging her shoulders. "Candy says he makes deals with people."<br/>If candy knows the magician, maybe he can help Trixie. He can find a new father for her. A really good one. Trixie thinks that but then… She sighs, without taking her eyes off the ninja doll on her hands. "What if he says no?" Her voice is just a low whisper.<br/>Megan's eyes widen like she's never thought about it. She breathes deeply and speaks with all the wisdom a six-year-old girl can have. "He will help. Come on, Trix. Time to make a deal."</p><p>Or The story of Lucifer Morningstar being the father that nobody asked for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>313</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>357</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I need to buy a father to my friend.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi. I am new to fandom.<br/>This history was born a couple of months ago together with my best friend Carolineangel31. It was originally written for Sherlock, but I've decided to give it a spin for a new couple that I really really like.<br/>I hope you enjoy this new story.<br/>I invite you to read my new story: Friday I'm In Love<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer.<br/>A hug, have a good day.</p><p>Things you should know before reading:<br/>1) Daniel is not Trixie's father. He is happily married to Charlotte<br/>2) Lucifer helps the police in some cases.<br/>2) Amenadiel and Luci get along very well</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Life takes us along paths that we did not expect, leads to unplanned roads because at the end leads to where it is supposed belong.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He is the man who has it all: fame. His dealings made him one of the world's most wanted men.</p>
<p>Money, he is the richest man in L. A. </p>
<p>The rules don't apply to him, his face has an incredible amount of beauty and enigma and his body is a temple sculpted by God himself.</p>
<p>He can have any woman in his bed, every night, every day, anytime that he wants. But still, he feels lonely.</p>
<p>But everything is about to change in a way that he doesn't even expect.</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The brunet's eyes open with enthusiasm as she frantically moves in the street, disturbing her best friend in the process.</p>
<p>The great building extends over them. It is quite beautiful.</p>
<p>The sign glows in white letters with a single written word. <strong>LUX.</strong></p>
<p>Trixie likes it.</p>
<p>Next to her, the girl with blue eyes and blonde hair speaks quickly.</p>
<p>"I heard the people talking outside. They say he gets anything that a person wants."</p>
<p>Trixie sucks in a breath."Like a magician?"</p>
<p>Megan laughs, shrugging her shoulders. "Candy says he makes deals with people."</p>
<p>Trixie laughs. Candy is Megan's mom, who doesn't like to be called mom, because she's too young for that.</p>
<p>She is a fun, pleasant woman with a nice smile.</p>
<p>She never lies. Megan says that.</p>
<p>And trixie believes it.</p>
<p>If candy knows the magician, maybe he can help Trixie. He can make her happy. Trixie thinks that but then… She frowns. "What is a deal?"</p>
<p>Megan's response is quick. "It's when a person does a favor for you and then." Megan pauses. "You do a favor in return."</p>
<p>The chestnut-haired girl sighs, without taking her eyes off the ninja doll on her hands. "What if he says no?" Her voice is just a low whisper.</p>
<p>Megan's eyes widen like she's never thought about it. She breathes deeply and speaks with all the wisdom a six-year-old girl can have. Trix, you are my best friend, I promise I will help you.</p>
<p>Trixie smiles sheepishly at that hugging her friend. "Thank you"</p>
<p>Megan smiles at her in return."Come on, Trix. Time to make a deal."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't tell me we're running away from Daniel's office, because there are 20 angry persons to interview with lame cases" Amenadiel rolls his eyes.<br/>
<br/>
"No of course not." He adds innocently while he looks out the car window. "I needed a break."<br/>
<br/>
"Clearly," Amenadiel complements sarcastically. "It's not easy sleeping with many women and men in three hours instead of helping in the case you promised to help."<br/>
<br/>
Lucifer broke into a laugh.<br/>
<br/>
"Give me some credit Amenadiel. They need sex; there was nothing I could do".<br/>
<br/>
"You are incredible sometimes," Amenadiel whispers.<br/>
<br/>
"The fate of the genius". He smiles then looks over to see the expression of disbelief in the face of his brother.<br/>
<br/>
"Your ego will crush one of these days."<br/>
<br/>
"Don't count on it “Lucifer replies coming out of the car.<br/>
<br/>
"The world news is disgusting," Amenadiel states passing the pages of the newspaper, as they arrive at the entrance of Lux.<br/>
<br/>
"So, I don't believe in anybody anyway" Lucifer speaks.<br/>
<br/>
"Only in yourself?" Amenadiel points out quickly to Lucifer and laughs.<br/>
<br/>
He is ready to start laughing when the voice of a small girl interrupts him.<br/>
<br/>
"Hello Mr. Morningstar" greets the little girl with blue eyes. "Is it true that you can get anything that a person wants? Her gaze is tender.</p>
<p>Lucifer blinks, and then scowls. "Yes."</p>
<p>"You search anything that a person wants to get?" She asks gently as her hands brush her dress with yellow and pink flowers. "And you are the lord of deals?"</p>
<p><em>The lord of deals</em>. That's a new one. The black man next to Lucifer smiles, funny with the little girl in front of them. "Yes, little girl. Do you want something?" Amenadiel asks.</p>
<p>"A father" The girl says. <br/>
<br/>
Silence.<br/>
<br/>
"I need to buy a father for my friend, that girl over there," She says pointing to a corner in the street.<br/>
<br/>
The two men look with curiosity; She's a child of about five years old, cute face with brown eyes. Small freckles spread all over her face and her hands are occupied with one doll.</p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't know what to make of that.<br/>
<br/>
"Honey" Amenadiel begins.<br/>
<br/>
"We have made a list of things that we would like her dad to have" she interrupts him by reading a white sheet with some written words on it. <br/>
<br/>
"I think that he should be fun, friendly, brave, adventurous...<br/>
<br/>
Silence. No one dares to say anything to the little blonde girl, whose face lights up while still describing the perfect dad.<br/>
<br/>
"I have a couple of coins. But I can get more" She declares firmly.<br/>
<br/>
Amenadiel's hearts shrink with her words.</p>
<p>“I think is possible, a few years ago, you could buy a child in sudamerica.” Lucifer narrow his eyes at Amenadiel.   </p>
<p>"Wait what?" Amenadiel questions somewhat confused, the plans of his unruly brother were always doubtful.</p>
<p>“Maybe now we can search for a father. That's very interesting, Maze have a friend…</p>
<p>Amenadiel made a noise of disapproval.<br/>
<br/>
The girl looks at both with a raised eyebrow and a grimace. "It is very urgent. My friend really needs a daddy today. "<br/>
<br/>
"Why is it so important to get one today?" Lucifer asks confuse.<br/>
<br/>
She holds her breath as her eyes snap open.<br/>
<br/>
"Today is bring your dad to school day". She explains with all the patience in the world. "All the kids mock Trix, because she doesn't have a father. We are looking for someone to be her dad for a month. But no one is good enough to go out with her mama" she points. "My friend and her mama are very close.” The girl slouched her shoulders. "So we came here because we thought that we could make a deal and buy a daddy."<br/>
<br/>
"I'm sorry little girl. I regret to tell you that you can't buy a dad." Amenadiel explians with a soft touch in his voice.<br/>
<br/>
The sadness of the child is evident. But Megan repress tears.<br/>
<br/>
"Your friend is a demanding girl?" Lucifer requests.<br/>
<br/>
She shakes her head. "She just wants his father to be a ninja" The girl emphasis.  “It's hard to find one in LA." She sighs and then continues. "Her father left a while ago. And I don't want her to be bullied at school for that. It is silly."</p>
<p>
  <em>An absent father. A father who walked away from his son when his son needed him the most.</em>
</p>
<p>The irony of the situation has Lucifer swallowing hard.</p>
<p>His eyes widen with absolute surprise.</p>
<p>Lucifer's mind is full of memories of him being driven out of the silver city.</p>
<p>He hates feeling this way, - feeling lonely, lost.</p>
<p>Lonely, like the little girl in her club, looking around for a dad; looking for a man, a complete idiot in this thedious world.</p>
<p>Maybe both girls can buy a father. And maybe he will be horrible, a bad man who just wants to hurt an innocent girl.</p>
<p>Lucifer maintains a firm stance without daring to say anything. He doesn’t need to make assumptions; it’s not his field of work.</p>
<p>However, his heart beats heavily in his chest as he imagines the cute girl wounded.</p>
<p>A feeling runs through Lucifer's skin. He had not felt this protective before. He's wondering if it is the fact that he feels moves by the story of the little girl.</p>
<p>He doesn't know what to think. Because he's Lucifer Morningstar. He's the man who has everything.<br/>
<br/>
He just does what he thinks is right, and watches the little girl.<br/>
<br/>
"Why would you like to make a Ninja your father, kid?" He test sitting next to her.<br/>
<br/>
"I" The girl points out flatly. Her arms are crossed over her chest tightly hugging a little action figure, that Lucifer slowly recognizes like a kind of ninja doll.<br/>
<br/>
He nods his head trying to understand the child. "Is it because you think they are superheroes?" Lucifer inquires.<br/>
<br/>
"No. It is just that... A Ninja is the only person who has never hurt my mom." The girl confesses. "He can protect her, take her to beautiful places. They can search for hidden treasures….And my mommy is the best mommy in the world, as well as the most beautiful. So why wouldn't he want to."<br/>
<br/>
Lucifer's eyes brightened in sudden understanding.<br/>
<br/>
"Too bad you can't find me one."  The girl's eyes fill with tears. "It would be a dream come true."<br/>
<br/>
 Lucifer's heart beats strongly, a feeling of sadness takes over his chest, something that he can't explain. "Look, miracles do happen", He says seriously.<br/>
<br/>
"Says the man who before said that he did not believe anyone but himself" points out the child.<br/>
<br/>
"You have a point there little girl. What is your name? "<br/>
<br/>
"Beatrice Espinoza". She gives Lucifer her hand; her grip is strong for someone of her age. "But my friends call me Trixie."</p>
<p>A scathing comment about her name being that of a prostitute creeps on his tongue, but he decides to brush it aside.</p>
<p>"Nice to meet you Trixie. My name is Lucifer Morningstar"</p>
<p>Her eyes widen surprisingly."Like the devil?" she ends up asking in a low whisper.</p>
<p>He gives her a funny smile and nods.</p>
<p>"Sorry Trixie that we couldn't find you a dad" Megan's voice sounds behind the man and the little girl nods in understanding.<br/>
<br/>
Trixie doesn't seem happy, but she comes to stand behind Lucifer and touched him on the shoulder. "Everyone needs to believe in someone. You might want to begin by believing in my ninja/ princess of mars."<br/>
<br/>
And with that she is gone, leaving a solitary and pensive Lucifer.</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong> <em> <span class="u">Hours later.</span> </em> </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Do you want me to go with you Kid?" Asks her nanny tenderly brushing the girl's hair. Trixie manages to comb some of her hair while Ella arranges the buttons on her pink shirt.</p>
<p>"No. You're a girl. "She points out.</p>
<p>Ella's mouth opens comically.</p>
<p>"One of the best". Trixie quickly adds and Ella smiles. "But you're still a girl, and it's a day for dads"</p>
<p>Ella's heart skipped a beat at the words of her beautiful girl. "Would you like me to call your mummy? "<br/>
<br/>
"No, I don't want her to feel bad because I don't have a daddy who can go."<br/>
<br/>
"Beatrice…"<br/>
<br/>
"It's ok. You can't buy one". She pouts. "I already tried to, but I am big girl." Trixie makes poses in the mirror with her shoulders raised. "I can go alone."<br/>
<br/>
Ella looks at her sympathetically before adding, "Let me tell you something, big girl. And I want you to hear me loud and clear, you understand?"</p>
<p>Trixie nods and Ella continues.</p>
<p>"Sometimes life is a little complicated and we only have one mom or one dad. But if you are truly lucky, you will have an amazing mom like yours. She is a life saver, you know that right? "</p>
<p>Trixie considers Ella's words.</p>
<p>She is a good woman, a nice and intelligent girl, according to the stories her mother told her.</p>
<p>Ella is always kind to her friends and has a special patience with her.</p>
<p>Her mother told her that Ella had a bad accident and fell asleep for a long time, and when she woke up nothing was the same.</p>
<p>Trixie doesn't think that sleeping too long is a bad thing, but seeing the sad look in the eyes of Ella at times makes her think otherwise.</p>
<p>So she tries to behave well when Ella is around. Trixie nods.</p>
<p>"Have a nice day Ella". Trixie kisses her on the cheek and says goodbye. "Love you"</p>
<p>"Love you too, monkey."Ella smiles kindly."Have a nice day, big girl"</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p><br/>
<br/>
At school some of the children laugh with their parents, some talk about how impressive the other parents are some finish their work, and a couple of other things happen that Trixiehew doesn't care about.<br/>
<br/>
"Decker" called a child. "Where is your dad” He mocks. "Left you alone again?"<br/>
<br/>
Trixie's lips formed into a grimace and she was about to leave when a figure makes a surprise appearance.</p>
<p>Lucifer is smiling; a sincere smile was spread all over his face. And the man can't help but feel that everything is going to be perfectly fine.<br/>
<br/>
"Here's your daddy, Trixie."<br/>
<br/>
"You came". She exclaims excited when the first tears are on her cheeks and a cry of surprise escapes from the mouths of many of her peers.<br/>
<br/>
"I told you that miracles exist" Lucifer smiles like he had never done before. "I promise you that it will be fun."<br/>
<br/>
Her brown eyes sparkle with kindness that Lucifer can feel in the bottom of his stomach.<br/>
<br/>
"Thank you". Trixie whispers.<br/>
<br/>
"I just believed in my new favorite ninja/princess of mars, that's all." Lucifer says.<br/>
<br/>
Someone once told him that the person who would change his life completely would come with time.<br/>
<br/>
He always thought it would be an adult, but he is now beginning to believe otherwise. </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A friend.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. <br/>I'm back.<br/>I can't thank you enough for your constant motivation; it's very nice to feel that another person appreciates your writing.<br/>Please, stay at home if your country is in cuarenteen. <br/>Stay safe everyone and take care. <br/>I invite you to read my other stories. I hope you like it.<br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>A true friend is someone who believes in you even though you have stopped believing in yourself.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe watches her sleeping, peacefully snuggled under the sheets of her favorite Teddy bear, her breathing is calm. Chloe continues to marvel at how her child looks so beautiful. Trixie is the light in her eyes, the only thing that gives meaning to Chloe's life and what keeps her clining to the earth.</p>
<p>Chloe hates to wake her, but she knows she must, Trixie has to go to school and Chloe has to go to work.</p>
<p>She approaches the bed quietly, and caresses the soft hair on her daughter's head, it was not until a few seconds later that her brown eyes meet hers and Trixie lets out a euphoric laugh, as Chloe tickles her stomach.</p>
<p>Chloe takes Trixie's face in her hands, and kisses Trixie's pink cheeks.</p>
<p>She's wrapper around her mother arms and embraces her with great force, so Chloe can feel the flutter of Trix's heart, that simple feeling gives Chloe energy to continue merrily with her day.</p>
<p>"Good morning, monkey!" She greets still looking at her for a second.</p>
<p>"Hi, Mommy!" She responds and rubs her hands over her eyes sleepily. "You weren't here last nigth," she feigns anger crossing her arms as she remembers how her nanny was the person who pum her to sleep last night.</p>
<p>"I know, I'm so sorry, Trixie!" She apologizes, stroking her brown hair "when I got home, you were asleep, but Ella told me how well your day at school was."</p>
<p>"It was very fun!" Trixie laughs and Chloe knows that all is forgiven." But it's a private and confidential secret "she whispers with her voice of a special ninja agent, who Trixie says she has.</p>
<p>"Oh, in that case," Chloe smiles and helps her get out of bed to get ready. "I'll wait for the moment when you can reveal the mission, soldier" she whispers for fun.</p>
<p>"Well, rest soldier Decker," Trixie euphorically screams and runs to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Chloe gets out of the bed to fix the sheets and to verify that her little girl has all the stuff she needs in her backpack.</p>
<p>"Monkey" She called her realizing one of the object disappeared from her backpack.</p>
<p>The Little girl pokes her head through the crack in the door, reveling her face full of toothpaste and water. " Where is your ninja doll?" Chloe asks, referring to the toy action figure that Trixie has not stopped carrying around from the time Chloe gave it her.</p>
<p>"I gave it to Luci" she responds after a few seconds, in which then her face is washed and her teeth are brushed. "He needed it more than me" she continues talking and before Chloe can ever bother to ask her more questions, Trixie approaches her mother and adds, "You always said that we should be good people and help those who need it, right mommy?" The girl smiles and then makes a perfect demonstration of the incredible eyes used by p*** in Boots in Shrek.</p>
<p>"You're right sweetheart" she places a finger on Trix's chin, to fix her gaze on her "you're a very good girl, and I'm proud of you."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>20 minutes later.</strong>
</p>
<p>"So is Luci a new classmate that I do not know monkey?" Chloe inquires while Trixie took a seat at the table for breakfast. She knows that her girl is a shy child who tends to shrink with kids to her age, God knows how difficult it has been for her girl, after they changed cities several times in the past two years.</p>
<p>"Uh, uh" Trixie responds playing with the fork.</p>
<p>"I like you have new friends. Do you think if I talk to his parents, Luci can come and eat with us?"</p>
<p>Trixie has stopped playing with her eating utensils, watches her mother with wide eyes and responds "I don't know".</p>
<p>"Is Luci eating with us Trixie?" She asks, considering the chance that her girl has an imaginary friend again.</p>
<p>Trixie laughs explosively. "NO! Luci is real mom... Sure you can ask... I bet you'll like him," she laughs.</p>
<p>And Chloe notices that change of facial expressions in her daughter, that reaction rarely seen is evident as Trixie keeps smiling. Perphaps after all, Luci, his new friend is someone who will help her small girl to fit in.</p>
<p>The minutes pass in silence and Trix just opens her mouth and slowly closes without saying a word. "What baby?"</p>
<p>"You're wearing a skirt today." Trixie points a finger at Chloe's outfit while eating her breakfast.</p>
<p>"Should I go change? Do you not want me this n*** out the house" Chloe laughs and Trixie rolls her brown eyes.</p>
<p>"It's your day off. You always wear normal clothes when you are off. "She shrugs.</p>
<p>Chloe smiles, still amazes at the ingenuity of her little one and how attentive she is with all the details, especially if they involve her.</p>
<p>"Today I have to go to a job interview" she notes while she finishes filling the small lunchbox and eats a piece of bread with fruit jam.</p>
<p>"Why?" Trixie looks confused. "Do not you like your job anymore?"</p>
<p>"I want to get a better job, one that will offers better opportunities. "She sighs, and looks for the right words to say." I want to give you eveything you deserve, monkey. "Chloe smiles at her tenderly while wondering when she'll be able to give her daughter all those things she always dreamed of. Life has been so hard on them, and she's just a lovely little girl.</p>
<p>"All right, Mommy. I do not want much though, "Trixie says without a doubt. She is a mature girl for her age, and Chloe knows that it is because of the situations Trixie has been through.</p>
<p>"Trixie!" Chloe sweetly calls for her, she has stopped eating and is waiting for the bus to come pick her up.</p>
<p>"If I could choose between all the toys in the world and you?" Trixie points out and Chloe turns her gaze to her Little girl." You know who I would choose? "Trixiee asks her making use of those tender smiles she usually gives her mother.</p>
<p>"Surprise me, Little girl!" She plays along knowing Trix's response.</p>
<p>"I choose you."</p>
<p>"And I choose you little girl" Chloe embraces her sweetly as Chloe feels small tears flow from her own eyes. The bus horns beeps and she lets her go.</p>
<p>"I love you mommy. Be good. "The girl smiles and gives her a cheerful look.</p>
<p>"I love you baby".</p>
<p>Trixie says goodbye and before entering the bus looks at the sky and repeats: <em>"God please let my mommy get a new job. I've never asked for anything before, you can check".</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Afternoon. Bookseller:</strong> <strong>THE CORNER OF THE ARROWS</strong></p>
<p>"And then he came and they were all amazed Earl... the girl lifted up her hands, little Trixie has spent more than half an hour talking about how incredible Lucifer Morningstar is. "And everyone wants to be my friends, because Luci is so cool." She smiles really big from one side of her face to the other.</p>
<p>"Trixie! Slow down, girl," advises the middle-aged man sitting behind the pile of books. He tries to contain his laughter, after hearing the little adventure that yesterday. "That means you like Lucifer".</p>
<p>"Yes, he's the best detective in the world and the best person I know."</p>
<p>"Hello Beatrice"Lucifer greets, standing by the door of the library. The child opens her eyes in disvelief runs to meet him, warmly leaning on his arms. " Luci!" She screams loudly.</p>
<p>"I asked at school and they said you'd be here. "He places Trixie back on the floor and a shy smile appears on her lips, shakes her brown hair." You want to go out for ice cream?"</p>
<p>"Yup" The child shouts again.</p>
<p>"Trixie, go get your things while I speak with Mr. Morningstar" says the man and the girl nods and runs to go get her things.</p>
<p>Lucifer turned his head to glance at him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Man. 65 years.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>1.70 meters. Posture firm and determined. A protective man.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>American. The accent betrays him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His movements are slow and he touches his hip every three seconds or so.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Hip fracture corrected with surgery, recently.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Man of average social status. His clothes are old and discolored. Frayed in three parts of the shirt he wears.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Widower. His ring has been removed from the ring finger recently. However the mark is clearly visible.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kind man, who misses his children. If the way he addresses Trixie is a clue.</em>
</p>
<p>"My name is Earl Johnson" He extends his hand, and is narrowed by Lucifer. "You has made an incredible impression on Trixie, she's a shy girl in most cases."</p>
<p>"I think she's a very smart girl.</p>
<p>Earl nods his head.</p>
<p>"I just want to make it clear that she and her mother have lived in very difficult circumstances, I hope you do not take advantage of Trixie" Earl demand strengthening his voice.</p>
<p>Lucifer studies his face as it seems he is struggling with something inside but doesn't know how to express it.</p>
<p>Interesting.</p>
<p>"I don't want to hurt her."He sentences firmly."I assure you, sir. It's not in my plans".</p>
<p>"I hope so, or I will be the one to intercede for him."</p>
<p>Lucifer is unable to respond, Trixie is back with her backpack.</p>
<p>"One fact: She is allergic to strawberries and if she eats more than two scoops of ice cream it is impossible for her to eat dinner."</p>
<p>Lucifer nodded his head. "Thank you, I will come back with her in an hour."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Across the street. Ice cream shop. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"And what are doing in kindergarten these days?" Lucifer asks casually sitting besides the little kid, both with their delicious chocolate ice cream.</p>
<p>"Today we draw things about our family and the things we like," Trixie says as starts eating her ice cream. "I drew many things, do you want to see them Luci?"</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh.</p>
<p>Luci.</p>
<p>Brittany and her perfect time.</p>
<p>Fuck.</p>
<p>The young woman had called him that way three times the previous afternoon. And now his nickname was in the public domain. At least as far as a kindergarten is concerned.</p>
<p>He has been trying to get rid of the terrible nickname for months. And now, as curious as it may seem. He likes it how sounds when Trixie said it.</p>
<p>"Let's see that artistic side of you," he responds making him and the Little girl laugh.</p>
<p>Trixie rushes to go her sketchbook from her backpack, and starts to show Lucifer, who looks attentively at each drawing.</p>
<p>"This is my house and this is my dog Rocco" Trixie points and Lucifer sees a simple style house with a very cozy ball of white and brown fur in front of it, which was Rocco is laying.</p>
<p>"My mom didn't allow me to call him Leviathan or Kraken" The child shrugs, making a slight pout.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles. "Neighbors may be frightened to hear you call mythological sea creatures near of their houses".</p>
<p>The girl laughs. "That’s mommy said"</p>
<p>Trixie keeps going through the drawings, various landscapes, places, and several faces of a woman with beautiful blue eyes occupy the following pages.</p>
<p>"There are many drawings of one person. Who is she? "</p>
<p>"She's my mommy," she blushes taking the spoon to keep eating her ice cream. "She's the most beautiful mommy in the world and she's my pride," the little girl says.</p>
<p>"I can see that, and look at those eyes" Lucifer points at one of the drawing and Trixie nods quickly.</p>
<p>"My eyes are also like that" she is excited to know that someone else recognizes the resemblance between her and her mother.</p>
<p>Warm and innocent eyes. Lucifer thinks.</p>
<p>She keeps looking through her sketchbook at the drawings, and Lucifer must say that he is impressed with the talent of the five-year girl.</p>
<p>He is about to finish his ice cream, when Lucifer sees a piece of paper in the blook, somewhat wrinkled. He looks it and can feel the smiling look of the small girl change.</p>
<p>It is a picture of her hugging her mother and at the foot of the page is picture of a man bigger than them dressed in black.  </p>
<p>"He's bad." Trixie murmurs before Lucifer achieved asking. "He's my dad."</p>
<p>"Beatrice where's your dad?" That's all he can think to ask at that time. And then he remembers Earl saying how difficult it has been for Trixie and her mother.</p>
<p>"I don't know. He left a long ago. "She diverted her gaze.</p>
<p>"Where did he go?" Lucifer asks her again.</p>
<p>"I don't know. My mommy does not talk about him. "Trixie ends. "But I don't want him to come back."</p>
<p>Lucifer swallows hard. "Why not?"</p>
<p> She lowers her chin, her eyes remain on the floor for a few seconds.</p>
<p>Lucifer studies her face critically, squinted his dark eyes, as if to bring it into focus.</p>
<p>"Mommy cries when he's around. The last time he came back, we had to spend some time in the hospital, "the girl explains to Lucifer sitting beside her.</p>
<p>And that's all Lucifer need to know. His fists are closed on both sides of the table and a rage he doesn't know runs through his body.</p>
<p>Oh, and he complained that he had a bad father.</p>
<p>"You know, no bad person can touch you anymore." Lucifer sentences with a soft tone in his voice resting a firm hand on her shoulder "I am with you, your mother and you are safe."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Lucifer," she says, hugging him gently.</p>
<p>"No, Beatrice. Thank you for being here. You're the real superhero. "he shakes her hair tenderly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>A few minutes later.</strong>
</p>
<p>"Why are you here Luci?"The little girl looks him at the time, realizing that any adult would be working in the middle of the afternoon.</p>
<p>"I wanted to eat ice cream and I did not really want to do it alone," Lucifer answer natually.</p>
<p>"I mean your job. Because you're not there? "</p>
<p>Oh, Smart kid.</p>
<p>"I wait for a competent PA who can help me in some cases"</p>
<p>Five professionals have left their jobs in LAPD. And it is not his fault, that they have been incompetents.</p>
<p>He was only responsible for pointing out the obvious. On multiple occasions.</p>
<p><em>It was entirely your fault, those poor souls ran from the center, as quickly as possible</em>. Daniel's voice echoes in his head.</p>
<p>Lucifer shrugs. "So i'm going to eat ice cream until she or he magically appears. "</p>
<p>"Can I give you some advice?" Lucifer laughs and stares at the Little girl.</p>
<p>"You have five. What make you think you have such great advice? "</p>
<p>"The wisdom is in the ABM, that's what Ella says all the time."</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles. "DNA." He edits.</p>
<p>Trixie rolls her eyes and nods in understanding. "Well, DNA."</p>
<p>"Okay, kid. Tell me some advice to help me get an excellent PA so I will not have to wait at least a month for"</p>
<p>The girl stares at the empty cup of the ice cream, hoping the answer will finally come to her. Lucifer waits.</p>
<p>"I knew it, I knew it!" She hits her forehead with the palm of her hand."You need a Megan. "She exclaims with a start.</p>
<p>"What is that supposed to mean?" Lucifer asks puzzled, eating his chocolate ice cream.</p>
<p>"I didn't have many friends before. Zero, "she says holding hands. " but then I met the best friend in the whole world." Trixie makes a dramatic pauses. "Megan. I think you need one. "</p>
<p>"Megan?" Lucifer is confused with his own question and doesn't know when the last time was that he let a child give him some advice.</p>
<p>If Mazikeen see this, she would laugh.</p>
<p>"She ates the strawberry ice cream for me, because I can't do it." she comments as an expert on the subject.</p>
<p> "What are you saying?, That I should work with a new PA based on the fact that she/ he likes ice cream?"</p>
<p>"Mm" the child thinks, until she hastens to add. "Wait, I'm thinking." The kid raises her index finger. "No... She has to do nice things for you."</p>
<p>"How clevere of you"</p>
<p>Trixie frowns as she try to remember something more. "Megan helped me get a dad yesterday."</p>
<p>Lucifer raises his eyebrows."Yes, that's something I remeber. "</p>
<p>"It's as if she's just like you, but a girl."</p>
<p>It's so complicated, if she was a female version of mine. We would probably end up destroying the building. He thinks.</p>
<p>"So how do I know if the new PA is a Megan?"</p>
<p>"Only you will know. Ella says that you should open your heart to people and be kind to never be alone. "</p>
<p>"That doesn't help me, girl."</p>
<p>Trixie laughs once more at Lucifer's expression and stands up: "You have to look out for good. When my mommy is not home I don't feel alone if I'm with Megan or my nany Ella."</p>
<p>"Ok, let's review: So has to like Ice cream, noticing good, and not feel alone with that person. I get it".</p>
<p>"You get it!"</p>
<p>"Lucifer!" Trixie calls him f seriosness looded her voice.</p>
<p>"Yes, little one."</p>
<p>"If you do not get your Megan today... Trixie hesitates a moment... "I am your friend".</p>
<p>"And you're the best friend in the world that I could get."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>LAPD</strong>
</p>
<p> After the Director interviewws 15 more people who seem completely inadequate for the job, Lucifer lets out a bored sigh and thinks he should give up at least for today.</p>
<p>"A complete loss of time". Lucifer whispers.</p>
<p>The face of the man sitting next to him, looks at him in disbelief.</p>
<p>"You are horrible to other people. You don't know how to work with others. If it was not for your brother, believe me you were not here."Oscar J. Perkins shouts and Lucifer couldn't agree more with his thoughts.</p>
<p>It was not a question. He didn't try to answer.</p>
<p>It's then that the door opens and Oscar's voice speaks neutrally.</p>
<p>"You can sit" he adds, still watching the mountains of paper that are on his desktop.</p>
<p>"Good afternoon." her voice sounds like a melody he has never heard before, and Lucifer is eager to hear her voice again. He lifts his head to meet her incredibly blue and challenging eyes. Her hair falls freely around her shoulders. Her makeup is light-colored and she is wearing a white cherry print cardigan and a dark pair of jeans which curiously match with her soft body and beautiful hair.</p>
<p>He finds himself for a moment bewildered.</p>
<p>A question is still in his mind: Where I have seen this woman before?</p>
<p>Did he have sex with her? Lucifer doubts it, he would probably remember her.</p>
<p>Oscar searches for her resume quickly and begins to look through, while the woman gives him complete answers to the questions, Lucifer is looking for his own questions.</p>
<p>He should be trying to figure her out. He should try to know her darkest desires and find out every minute detail of her life.</p>
<p>It is what he does with each person.</p>
<p>But he finds that he doesn't want to do it.</p>
<p>It's confusing.</p>
<p>Especially because he finds himself admiring the warmth of her gaze.</p>
<p>The kind of warmth that very few people have.</p>
<p>Is different. She is different.</p>
<p>Even he allows himself, stop his train of thoughts and observe her smile.</p>
<p>She is intriguing. And he feels comfortable in her presence. With the safe way she describes her previous work, and her fine movements.</p>
<p>Even more disconcerting. He is Lucifer Morningstar. He doesn't feel comfortable in the presence of anyone, except for a few persons.</p>
<p>Perkins's voice brings him back. "Great. The job is yours. Miss…</p>
<p>"Chloe" She elaborates</p>
<p>"The job is yours. Chloe" He smiles her warmly. "You will find here a whole series of adversaries: shift leaders, journalists who try to test your limits to place their own headlines but, you must act with hard hands to face them. I am sure you are able to confront anyone."</p>
<p>She nods.</p>
<p>"Welcome to LAPD". Oscar says, shaking her hand.</p>
<p>She smiled in return.  She is about to leave when Lucifer's voice stops her.</p>
<p>"This Might sound a bit absurd." He takes a deep breath, remember to behave like a pro. But at that time his heart beats strongly, and he is sure that if he talks he would probably sound a little, probably very unprofessional. "Do you like ice cream?"</p>
<p>"Of course," she responds somewhat stunned before his eyes fixed on her.  </p>
<p>He nods.                                                                                                                          </p>
<p>
  <em>You were right, Urchin. "Finally I got my Megan," he says to himself when he saw her leave.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>What do you think?Thoughts about trixie's father?<br/>I invite you to read my other stories.<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A father (2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. <br/>First I want to thank all those people who read my story; It is amazing the support I had. Thank you very much indeed, means a lot to me that they like my story. I really thank all who have encouraged me to continue this story.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter.<br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer.  <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong><em>Father</em> </strong>
  <em><br/>It is not flesh and blood but the heart, which makes us fathers and sons.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was nearly midnight when Chloe is back home. She opened the door gently and is welcomed by a picture of her and her daughter holding hands, hanging just behind the door over the place where the keys are located. Next to the drawing is a flower and a note with a particular letter that belongs to the small girl she loves most in the world. <em>Congratulations</em> is written on the letter and she smiles.</p>
<p>"She was sure that you would get the job." Ella is quick to add, who is sitting on the cream color couch as she reads the latest news from City Journal. "She prepared everything and insisted on staying awake and waiting for you, but she was too tired in the end." the woman smiles and Chloe nods in understanding.</p>
<p>"Has she been good to you Ella?" She asks leaving her portfolio on the table and taking a seat on the couch. Ella is not just her babysitter, she is one of the first people she met on her arrival to the city and she is her closest friend.</p>
<p>"That child is an angel Chloe; you couldn't ask for a better behaved kid." Both the women are smiling. "She has not stopped talking about her new friend Luci all afternoon. That has kept us busy."</p>
<p>"You too..."the blonde laughs.  "I thought Luci was a classmate, but Trixie said no. Do you think I should worry? "</p>
<p>"No, I have not seen her so excited for quite some time," answers the dark-haired woman. "I don't think you should worry. You know how kids are. They know guys everywhere. But I will find out who he is tomorrow just to be safe."</p>
<p>"Thanks Ella." Chloe smiles at her friend. "Who do you think got a job at LAPD?" She says after a pause that her friend takes to get them both a drink.</p>
<p>"Wow the police!" Ella can’t believe what she just heard "This is great Decker! When I say big I mean it's huge!"</p>
<p>"I know" Chloe smiles happily. "It's a great opportunity to give Trixie everything she deserves. I hope it really works out."</p>
<p>"And the best thing about working at LAPD is Lucifer Morningstar. The man lives practically there." Ella sighs, mindlessly dabbing the cup. "He's really hot," She whispers with a wink.</p>
<p>"He's a very handsome man." Chloe clarifies, blushing considerably. She can still remember his penetrating dark eyes.</p>
<p>"Handsome?" Ella asks incredulously. "I remember the first time I saw him on tv and thought, hell!" She confesses honestly, earning a small laugh from Chloe. Sometimes she thinks her nanny will always be that rebellious woman who she met a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>"And those are the hormones talking." Chloe teases.</p>
<p>She is waiting for a response, but she gets none. Silence that takes over the room. Just as she is about to say something, Ella hands her what looks like a crumpled paper.</p>
<p>"I found this in her things," Ella whispers, gently touching Chloe´s shoulder. Ella knows she has to wait a little longer, but she cannot. This topic is too delicate. "Talk to her Chloe."</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When she walks into Trixie's room, there's a big lump in her throat. She isn't fragile, she's a strong woman, determined to fight for her and her girl.  She takes a deep breath and then fixes her skirt and a smile is plastered on her face. Trixie remains asleep, peacefully, wrapping her hands around a flower, or what remains of it. The image touches Chloe and she carefully watches Trixie for a couple of minutes. The girl stirs in her dreams and says her name. Chloe opens her eyes in surprise and smiles.</p>
<p>"Trixie!" Chloe calls her and stokes her brown hair.</p>
<p>"Mummy" Trixie yawns and her breath smells of peanut butter biscuits. She could have sworn she told Ella not let Trixie eat more snacks before bedtime. She plants a wet kiss on Trix's right cheek and she does the same.</p>
<p>"Did you have fun today?" Chloe whispers. The little girl smiles and nods happily, suddenly awake.</p>
<p>"I went to eat ice cream with my friend Luci!" Trixie explains excitedly.</p>
<p>"Ella told me that. Should I be getting jealous now that you only talk about Luci?" Chloe asks in a mocking tone. Trixie throws her short arms around Chloe's neck and she nestles into the crook of her neck. Trix smells like chocolate, crayons and happiness.</p>
<p>"No mummy!" She laughs without releasing Chloe from her grip "Luci is my friend, but you're my mum!"</p>
<p>"That's okay monkey, I like that you have new friends." Chloe kisses Trixie's cheek and hugs her tightly suppressing a series of tears threatening to escape from her eyes.</p>
<p>"This flower is for you" she pulls the flower loose from her grip, and automatically wrinkling her brow to see the flower with only two petals remaining. The others are spread all over her bed." Earl said that roses are good to say I love you and congrants".</p>
<p>"It's beautiful, monkey!" She smiles and takes it in her hands, being careful not to destroy the remaining petals. "How did you know I would get the job?"</p>
<p>"Nobody could say no to you, because you're the best!" Trixie responds with an innocent smile.</p>
<p>"Thank you darling, my little girl. You are the most intelligent, kind and special child in the world." Chloe looks at her and Trixie's smile makes her want to smile again.</p>
<p>"So is your boss a woman or a man?" Chloe rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>"I'm serious," Trixie says, crossing her little arms over her chest. "I need to know. It's for your protection."</p>
<p>"It is a man."</p>
<p>"Is he married? Does he have children?" Trixie asks, watching her anxiously.</p>
<p>"Not that I know of. Trixie, what is all this about?" She gets off the bed, without looking, clearly affected by her response. She turns her back to sit on the carpet and starts playing with her dolls</p>
<p>"Trixie…Trixie…Monkey talk to me please"</p>
<p>She doesn't respond, so Chloe sits with her on the carpet, Chloe's hand gently stroking her shoulders. Trixie lifts her deep dark eyes to see her mother.  "If he is a man" the little one speaks and shakes slightly. "Will he be bad like Daddy?"</p>
<p>Chloe freezes. Trixie has talked about her father recently and Chloe cannot understand why. Chloe has done nothing to provoke any thought of him. Chloe never expected that thinks about the man at all. Sometimes she just wants to yell at Trixie and tell her, she should not think about her father. He isn't coming back and never will. Trixie must forget him. Chloe must forget him too. But she cannot. She cannot forget him and it is so damn frustrating.</p>
<p>"No baby!" Her hand gently holds Trixie's little hands when she says: "No one will hurt us again."</p>
<p>"Are you sure?" Her dark eyes are focused on hers.             </p>
<p>Chloe swallowed hard, because she fears Trixie's father will someday appear and try to steal Trixie from her. That is her worst fear. The terror of the man will damage her girl; that crazy idea that appears overnight drives her to madness, preventing her from sleeping. But Trixie is too young to understand that, and she should not worry about it. Not when Chloe would give her life to protect her.</p>
<p>"Very much" she says confidently. "You are what I love most in this whole world, and listen to me Monkey. I will not ever let anyone touch you. Never again"</p>
<p>"No bad guys...", Trixie repeated, while clenching her hands with Chloe's.</p>
<p>"No, never, baby. Do not worry." she kisses Trixie's head and lets the first of tears fall down her face.</p>
<p>The girl must realize that her mother feels broken, because Trixie  gets up to hug her and places a kiss on her forehead, then she dries Chloe's tears with her thumb by making gentle caress. "Don't worry. Luci will protect us mummy".</p>
<p>"I love you baby." She whispers lost in her warm embrace.</p>
<p>"And I love you too, Mummy."</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><em><span class="u">A</span></em></strong> <strong><em><span class="u">few days later. </span></em></strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>The park </strong>
</p>
<p>"Hello Amenadiel" Lucifer greets his brother.</p>
<p>"Luci, I thought you were not coming!" Amenadiel sighs heavily, giving him a pissed off look for arriving two hours late.</p>
<p>"I found myself bored. Too many boring cases trying to monopolize my time. I decided to try clearing my mind just this one morning in the open air. "</p>
<p>Amenadiel looks so impressed with his words. "Are you kidding? You? In the park? For a game? A game that lasts ninety minutes?" He lets out a disbelieving laugh.    </p>
<p>"I am a man who can control himself". Lucifer smiles. "I can handle a tedious soccer game"</p>
<p>"Self-control is a word that is definitely missing in your day-to-day vocabulary". Amenadiel replies sarcastically.</p>
<p>" Amenadiel!" Isaac cries and Amenadiel turns to meet a small blond with blue eyes that interrupted their conversation.</p>
<p>"Lucifer!" The boy shouts, excited to see the man standing next to his godfather.</p>
<p>"So you remember Luci, eh?" Amenadiel asks him, lifting the boy in his arms. "You never remember anyone!"</p>
<p>The little kid laughs and shouts: "He is a detective, Amenadiel and works with my dad"</p>
<p>Amenadiel smiles and runs his hand through the boy curly hair. "I thought you were going to show us these great moves of yours on the field"</p>
<p>"Yes!" He stirs out of his uncle’s arms and runs onto the field. "You have to see me play!" </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>They sit in the stands, which are already filled with people with banners supporting their teams. Many moms shout the name of their children and Lucifer sees Isaac positioned in the center of the goal. Amenadiel smiles proudly as he takes a couple of pictures. The football game starts. It is monotonous for the first few minutes. The ball flies from one side to the other, and the children run after it. It is what you would expect for children 5 and 6 years old playing football. He is practically lost in his cell, when a name catches his eye.</p>
<p>"Let’s go Trixie!" Encourages the voice of a woman. "You can do it!" she continues.</p>
<p>Lucifer anxiously looks for the source voice in the stands, but it is difficult to make out a face in the crowd.</p>
<p>He gives up, but not before intently watching every little player on the field. His eyes light up when he realized that the number five shirt, black and red stripes, belongs to his friend Trixie. Which by the way, is playing on the same team as Amenadiel's godson.</p>
<p>"Look Amenadiel, its Trixie!" Exclaims Lucifer like a little kid in a candy store.</p>
<p>"Who?" Amenadiel asks confuse, still taking pictures of the game.</p>
<p>"The girl, the midfield player. The number five". Lucifer moves his hand toward the field. "The urchin. The kid at the store that one day Amenadiel" Lucifer lets out a sigh of disbelief.</p>
<p>"Oh" Amenadiel exclaims, as if just discovering the hidden murderer in that famous game called Clue. "You were the dad that day," Amenadiel states plainly.</p>
<p>"What's that supposed to mean?"</p>
<p>"I had no idea of the child influence over you," He mocks.</p>
<p>"I did my good deed for the day Amenadiel, she needed me," Lucifer says then shrugs with an amused smile on his face. "The Urchin is really special."</p>
<p>Amenadiel is blinking in surprise, and turns to him, leaving his camera in the stands. "Wait, what? Are you serious?"</p>
<p>"Uh, uh"</p>
<p>"Should we expect an angry mother today?" Amenadiel asks with a frown. He is sure that Lucifer has made the most irresponsible and foolish choices that may exist. Ergo a high-maintenance millionaire devil/angel / King of hell is pretending to be the father of a child.</p>
<p>"The urchin is my friend". Lucifer says.</p>
<p> Amenadiel decides not to continue this argument, knowing that his brother doesn't believe that what he is doing is wrong. Lucifer Morningstar a dad? Amenadiel thinks about it. <em>In which crazy world I waked up today? </em>He asks himself.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p><br/><br/>78 minutes have passed, and Isaac has made several spectacular saves, especially for a child, and Amenadiel cheers happily, supporting the team. Trixie has scored two goals in the first half, and boy has Lucifer enjoyed screaming goal. Her third goal comes after 68 minutes. Lucifer smiles brightly and Trixie greets him a few times by waving at him in the stands. The little one is constantly seeking Lucifer´s approval of everything she does on the field, and Lucifer could not be happier. He is proud. But of course, in the game anything can change.</p>
<p>"Referee are you blind?" Lucifer yells furiously "Obviously that's a foul" he shouts vehemently, as Trixie writhes on the floor, her face red and eyes watery.</p>
<p>The referee gives him a look then turns and Lucifer keeps screaming down the field saying they should hire someone more professional.</p>
<p>"Get off the field cry baby!" Shouts a man in the stands with a shirt of the opposing team.</p>
<p>Amenadiel can see where his brother's gaze is directed and he places a hand on Luci's shoulder. "Luci"</p>
<p>"You should not say anything, leave her alone she's such a great girl" Lucifer accuses angrily. "She's playing really well, and that giant child has thrown her in the grass".</p>
<p>"Your girl fell and is crying like a little baby" the man mocks pacing right in front of him, "look at that," he says pointing at field "she looks like a dwarf, and so do you" the guy then smirks.</p>
<p>"I think you don't know who you’re talking to." Lucifer says threatening, while still looking at the man. He feels like his blood burning.</p>
<p>"Calm down!" Amenadiel suggests taking his arm hard.</p>
<p>"No. I will not calm down, what the hell is so funny" Lucifer asks the man who smiles for fun.</p>
<p>"They've taken her out for being a crybaby" the man beckons and Lucifer can see how Trixie leaves the field crying and he is quick to look for her.</p>
<p>"We don't want problems." Amenadiel speaks slowly stopping the man who keeps smiling stupidly. "I suggest you go" he places a hand on his chest and lightly presses. The man looks at him threatening, then he turns around and leaves.</p>
<p>"Do not cry urchin" Lucifer comes to meet her. "You did great, no one could have done better" He assures her then holds her gently in his arms.</p>
<p>"You’re just saying that because you're my friend," the child pouts, wiping tears from her eyes.</p>
<p>"No, I would not lie to you. You're a born football player."</p>
<p>Trixie nods proudly, smiling "Three goals," she raises her fingers.</p>
<p>Lucifer puts her down on the grass to make sure she is all right.</p>
<p>"You are the number one player, you have left the other team completely helpless! I'm telling you Beatrice, I saw sad faces, many of them were crying after the last goal!"</p>
<p>Trixie is immediately animated and jumps from one side to another and they end up watching the game together. Her team won and Lucifer hugged Trixie. Amenadiel went looking for his godson and then came to meet Lucifer and Trixie.</p>
<p>"Godfather Amenadiel, Is Lucifer Trixie's father?" Isaac asks looking both at adults, seeing as Lucifer is holding Trixie's hand tenderly.</p>
<p>The devil freezes, and slowly his eyebrows meet in the middle.</p>
<p>Silence.  He then gets hit in the arm by Amenadiel, which led him to utter a response.</p>
<p>"Yes, Isaac. Trixie is my daughter," answers Lucifer hugging the small girl. Lucifer then looks over at Trixie whose dark eyes are widening significantly.</p>
<p>And a silent touch caresses his heart. Lucifer is smiling a real smile.</p>
<p>"So Mr. Morningstar, are you Trixie’s dad?" asks a beautiful voice behind him, Lucifer doesn't know what to say and neither Trixie.</p>
<p>All that is waiting for her is trouble, should Trixie chose to turn around. Some things simply cannot be denied.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>Hello, hello, problems to come<br/>Thoughts about Trixie's father?<br/>Who do you think he can be?<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Problems</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. <br/>First I want to thank all those people who read my story; It is amazing the support I had. Thank you very much indeed, means a lot to me that they like my story. I really thank all who have encouraged me to continue this story.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter.<br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So Mr. Morningstar, are you Trixie’s dad?" a beautiful voice asks behind him. Lucifer doesn’t know what to say and neither does Trixie.</p>
<p>"Answer me, Beatrice. I asked you a question." Her voice is neutral and calm. Her expression is a serious, fixed on them.</p>
<p>"Sorry" says the smaller one, not knowing what else to say. She can feel her hand being squeezes by Lucifer in a sign of support.</p>
<p>"You're sorry? You have been lying to your mom and me all this time and all you have to say is sorry?" Ella asks, crossing her arms over her chest. A big frown appears on her beautiful face.</p>
<p>The situation is overwhelming, but when he hears her words, Lucifer can only let out a sigh of relief. It could be worse, he tells himself. She could be Trixie’s mum.</p>
<p>She looks terribly upset and he totally gets why. Lying is not okay and even less okay for a young child.</p>
<p>But he's Lucifer Morningstar and he has great skills with words. He can conquer any person with his words. And she probably will not be the exception.</p>
<p>Amenadiel intently watches the situation, apologizes, and then leaves the scene with his godson. </p>
<p>"Excuse me, Miss." he starts, stopping to see the look of disbelief on the woman's face. "I don’t think scolding the child is the best cause of action right now." Lucifer says, giving her a sincere look.</p>
<p>Ella can only roll her eyes. "So three days with the child makes you an expert in the field Mr. Morningstar?"</p>
<p>The girl automatically loosens her grip and timidly approaches her nanny. "Don’t be mad please Ella!" the girl probes, her voice two shades lighter than usual "Lucifer was just helping me. Don’t be mad." Trixie says with the best puppy dog eyes that she can give her.</p>
<p>Ella just shakes her head, considering how she would act in such a difficult situation. She knows she should be upset by the terrible lie that her girl came up with, establishing links that clearly don’t exist. She really just wants to yell at the man for being a complete idiot. But she'd hate to see Trixie getting hurt by their fight. Ella knows how much Trix likes Lucifer and how she hasn't left Lucifer's side since the day they met.</p>
<p>Part of this could go terribly wrong, her mind tells her. God! He is Lucifer Morningstar the man who almost works with her best friend, who just so happens to be Trixie's mother!</p>
<p>What is she supposed to do?</p>
<p>The look on Trixie's face gives her the answer she needs.</p>
<p>"I want you to wait for me in the car honey." she softens her voice as she sees the tears in Trixie's eyes.</p>
<p>"NO!" Trixie states strongly placing her hands outstretched in front of Lucifer as if to protect him. "You are probably going to hit him." her face is full of sadness "Ella hit her last boyfriend, she was as angry as she is now." she cries to Lucifer, who outlines an amused smile.</p>
<p>"Get in the car Beatrice, now." Ella commands. The pained look in Trixie's eyes doesn’t leave her, so she tries again with a much quieter tone, "I promise I will only speak with the man."</p>
<p>"No!" She takes a breath.  "I want to go to the pizzeria near Earl's library like we do after every game. And I want Lucifer to come with us" Trixie pauses negotiating the proposal "We can talk there, all three of us."</p>
<p>"Come on urchin, I think it's a good idea to wait in the car. Then we can go eat together." Lucifer says with a look of appreciation on his face. The girl has done nothing to defend him.</p>
<p>Trixie looks at him and nods her head but not before she leaves she adds sheepishly "They make fun of me at school Ella."</p>
<p>She crouches down, gently stroking her hair. "Why is that honey?"</p>
<p>"I have no father." she answers.</p>
<p>Lucifer's heart sinks. It hurts to hear Trixie say things like that. She has so much sadness in her little voice for a child of only five years. It shouldn’t be like that.</p>
<p>"They make fun of you because you don’t have a father?" Ella asks.</p>
<p>"Yes," Trixie says softly. "Lucifer just wanted to help me by saying he was my dad."</p>
<p>"Okay" her hands caress Trix's face. "Wait for me in the car."</p>
<p>The girl turns and walks to the car located a few steps from where they are. However she is far enough away so she can’t hear their conversation.</p>
<p>"You think you can be a good father Mr. Morningstar?" Ella asks as soon as she sees Trixie sitting on the hood of the car.</p>
<p>That’s the big question it seems.                                                                                              </p>
<p>"She's an amazing little girl. I like her and she likes me. She's a little lonely, I realized that when I met her and I think I can help her" vulnerability and honesty take over his voice. "I know I can do it and I really want to and then I think about it and say to myself" There's a pause and he continues with insecurity. "I realize that she is not my daughter. And the truth is I don’t know if I can be her father."</p>
<p>Ella observes him attentively, her expression softens significantly upon hearing the sincerity of his words.</p>
<p>"It's a big responsibility and a long-term commitment." she declares. "Playing her father is one thing but actually being it is another."</p>
<p>"I know, I…" This time he stopped, looks at her and swallows. It is then that he realizes how nervous he is. "At first I just wanted to help her, you know." he then takes a sharp breath. "Help the urchin avoid teasing from her peers. But then, I stopped and thought about if for a minute. About this girl. And I can’t imagine not doing it."</p>
<p>Ella doesn’t expect such a response, at least not coming from him, for the first time she feels like she is speechless.</p>
<p>It isn't until a minute later she decides to talk.</p>
<p>"It's a nice gesture. Helping her, being her buddy." She has to agree with him on that. Trixie is a wonderful kid, anyone should feel grateful to have her as a friend. "She talks about you, she has grown attached to you very quickly. And if I'm honest I don’t think you have bad intentions." Ella adds helpfully. "But you are Lucifer Morningstar." He looks at her apprehensively. "I hate to say it, but she is not a toy, and you can’t always have what you want"</p>
<p>"Actually, I pretty much can." he says. "And I don’t think she's a toy".</p>
<p>"What I want to say, Mr. Morningstar, is that Trixie is a girl who has suffered greatly. Her father left when she was a baby" Ella explains. "And he just returned a few times to make her and her mother suffer in the process. Trixie doesn’t need more pain in her life; she doesn’t need someone who wants to pretend to be her father. She needs a real father. "<br/>Lucifer sucks in a breath. Her words are like daggers. He slowly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath trying to calm down.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry." He responds, his throat closing in a sense of shock. Lucifer suddenly hates that man and what he has done to Trixie.</p>
<p>Trixie, who is a great girl, smart, adorable. Nobody deserves that kind of pain.</p>
<p>"So I will do my best for her. I'll let you decide," Ella utters. Lucifer looks astonished. He doesn’t say anything, allowing her to continue. This was getting more personal than he considered comfortable.</p>
<p>"You can stay and be a father figure for the girl, someone she admires and respect, to teach good things and not hurt her. Or you can go and never come back. Keep in mind that if you decide to stay and get tired of her, or leave just because you want to, don’t think it won't hurt her more than anyone. "</p>
<p>Her words have a bad effect on him. He shakes his head and starts walking in search of Amenadiel.</p>
<p>Her words sink finally sink in exactly 7 seconds later.</p>
<p>Lucifer probably won’t see Beatrice anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The drive to the restaurant is completely silent. Ella gives a few worried looks at the girl who just keeps looking out the window, her eyes filled with tears. And Ella knows that the situation has been difficult for her.</p>
<p>"Are you mad?" Trixie asks releasing the seat belt.</p>
<p>"No honey, I am not." She answers with a gentle smile. "I'm proud of you. Three goals, huh?"</p>
<p>Trixie shrugs. "It was OK. My team won in football today."</p>
<p>"I think it has some of the best players in it." Ella says, taking Trixie's hand and entering the pizzeria.</p>
<p>"Will you tell my mommy?" She suddenly asks, watching her carefully.</p>
<p>Ella thinks for a few seconds.</p>
<p>"No, I will not."</p>
<p>That's it. No more talk for half an hour. Only watery sighs and a pair of sad brown eyes. That breaks Ella's heart.</p>
<p>She wishes she could say something to cheer Trix up but doesn’t know what to say. Because if there is one difficult child to convince in the world, it is Trixie.</p>
<p>When the waiter brings Trixie's favorite pizza, she almost wants to cry. God this is an awful situation! Ella feels a pang in her heart. Maybe she scared Lucifer Morningstar off.  Of course she did. Someone who has never been engaged with anything in his life. He would not want a child, much less that of another woman.</p>
<p>What was she thinking?</p>
<p>Trixie stops her line of thinking when she asks "Will Lucifer come back?" Ella can see the hope in her Brown eyes.</p>
<p>"I...” Ella's voice is cut ...</p>
<p>"Is the girl who scored three great goals eating here?" Ask a deep voice.</p>
<p>A cry escapes Trixie’s lips and Ella just smiles at the girl reaction. Wonder, joy, and that twinge of excitement that can make your heart literally stop with emotion.</p>
<p>"Luci!" Trixie shouts loudly, jumping into his arms. Lucifer hugs her with equal or much more joy.<br/>She smiles.</p>
<p>"The truth is that I don’t know how to be a good father." Lucifer responds to her previous question. "I don’t have the best role model." he adds with emotion clearly stuck to his voice. "But I will try to be the best for Beatrice."</p>
<p>And that, Ella thinks, is enough. Now all she needs to do is talk to Chloe. It’s a sensitive point, but in other times will be, she says to herself, now she delighted to see this couple learning how to live as nothing but a daughter and a father.</p>
<p>Well that is what Ella likes to think.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>A couple of days later.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>"Did you know that koalas sleep more than sloths to save energy?"</p>
<p>"No." he answers, admiring the girl’s work. Trixie draws the animal on a white sheet, colored pencils are scattered near the last table in the bookstore belonging to Earl.</p>
<p>"Plus they are great climbers, feet and claws allow them to have what they needed to grab and swing on branches," continues Trixie, as if reciting a chapter of National Geographic Channel.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles. Trixie never ceases to surprise him. The urchin has an innate talent for drawing and searching for information about animals that she loves. First she became an expert on elephants, lions and then recently on koalas.</p>
<p>Lucifer seriously thinks that he could get a real one for her. After all, he is a rich man.</p>
<p>However that particular train of toughs stops when Ella gives him a look from the other side of the table. She specifically told him that he can’t give the child any exotic animal, under any circumstances.</p>
<p>Trixie's mother would be angry. Lucifer laughs at it but says nothing, he just gives her a look of understanding and continues to monitor the nanny and the small drawings.</p>
<p>"Koalas may be immobile on a branch for an hour. While asleep, they cling to the branches to prevent themselves from falling." he says and Trixie's eyes widened to reveal a dark tone in them, much brighter than usual.</p>
<p>Lucifer merely smiles at it.</p>
<p>"Watching TV and viewing…something else documentaries to impress the child, Mr. Morningstar?" Ella asks incredulously without losing sight of the information that she currently reads on her laptop.</p>
<p>Lucifer lets out a laugh and shakes his head. "I heard it once." Trixie's eyes are lit while coloring her drawing. "I thought it would interest Beatrice. Am I right?"</p>
<p>Trixie smiles and nods. Ella's smile doesn’t leave her lips as she observes the interaction between the man and the girl.</p>
<p>"Of course!" She laughs typing on the keyboard of her laptop. "I forgot you're a genius."</p>
<p>"Is that jealousy talking?" He countered.</p>
<p>"Never in a million years." Ella is quick to respond "I know the koala girl and how to impress her even before you decide to start solving cases.”</p>
<p>Trixie let out a chuckle at that and Lucifer merely chuckles back.</p>
<p>His time with the urchin one is usually so full of jokes, fun and learning. If Lucifer is honest with himself, he must admit that Lucifer has learned more now than he could in his old days in Silver city. There are things they just don’t teach, things you learn at some point in your life. And Lucifer is learning them now.</p>
<p>"Trixie get your things, it’s time to go home," Ella says a few hours later.</p>
<p>The girl nods obediently and begins to gather her things. Ella looks as Earl helps Trixie put everything into her bag.</p>
<p>"I'll be in the car. I'll give you two a couple of minutes," Ella says and nods to Lucifer who walks towards the little girl.</p>
<p>Trixie looks at him curiously, a look of confusion crossing her face as Lucifer takes a teddy bear from a mahogany-colored bag. "Is it yours?" Trixie question him carefully.</p>
<p>Lucifer gives her a tender smile. "It is yours. I hear he’s the best bear you could ever have. He’ll protect you from the monsters!”</p>
<p>Trixie lets out a gasp. "Are you giving him to me?”</p>
<p>"I want you to feel safe." Lucifer says sincerely. "Even when I'm not there with you."</p>
<p>Trixie steps back and looks away. Lucifer knows he’s hit the mark.</p>
<p>"Thanks Lucifer…" Trixie says shyly, her arms wrapping now around the man. "I will take good care of him."</p>
<p>Lucifer just embraces her tightly before responding, "Any time, Beatrice."</p>
<p>
  <em>He really feels that he is learning, and honestly, is not just about exotic animals.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>Did Ella act well?<br/>Who do you think is trixie's father?<br/>In the next chapter: Deckerstar .<br/>I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Hugs and kisses.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Beatrice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello.<br/>I'm back.<br/>I can't thank you enough for your constant motivation; it's very nice to feel that another person appreciates your writing.<br/>Please, stay at home if your country is in cuarenteen.<br/>Stay safe everyone and take care.<br/>I invite you to read my other stories. I hope you like it.<br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me.<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer.<br/>A hug, have a good day</p>
<p>NOTE: Some things you need to know before reading this chapter.</p>
<p>1. Lucifer works helping in some cases, his relationship with Dan is considered good.<br/>2. Trixie visits Lucifer after Ella allows it. Her first visits were in the company of her babysitter, until Ella believed that the man was not bad or dangerous for the girl.<br/>3. Maze works primarily as a bounty hunter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the time that Amenadiel has known his brother, he can safely say that he has witnessed enough unreal things, ruthless murderers, villains with a thirst for unwavering vengeance, and absolutely incomprehensible crimes, for most normal people.</p>
<p>However none of this, has prepared him for observing the scene placed before his eyes.</p>
<p>"The incredible world of the alphabet," Lucifer announces with a dramatic turn of his hands.</p>
<p>He's sitting in front of the little girl, his hands full of colored papers with letters printed on it.</p>
<p>The child's face (Beatrice) visibly lights up every couple of seconds before each correct answer she gives him. There is a matching smile on Lucifer's face.</p>
<p>He is happy. Amenadiel can see that.</p>
<p>The dark man coughs, making his presence visible to everyone in the room.  Trixie smiles at him and raises a hand in greeting.</p>
<p>Lucifer's gaze rests on Amenadiel. He doesn't say anything, he just acknowledges, understanding the conversation that is about to happen. He whispers something to the child and leaves the living room.</p>
<p>"I'm assuming her mother agrees that the child is with you."</p>
<p>Lucifer turns his head to glance at Amenadiel.  "Her nanny."</p>
<p>Amenadiel makes a purely maternal noise of disapproval. "Her nanny?" he asks indignantly. "Poor innocent woman! What manipulative trick have you used on her this time to get what you want? Trust you, with a child?" He sighs resignedly.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles self-confidently. "I didn't do anything, just validly argued my point."</p>
<p>Amenadiel looks at him, trying to decipher his words. "Which was?"</p>
<p>"It's perfectly safe for Beatrice to spend a reasonable amount of time with me, based on mutual learning."</p>
<p>Amenadiel gives him a contemplative look. "Have you thought about this thoroughly?"</p>
<p>Lucifer rolls his eyes at his question. "Consider what it means to have a child visit even for an hour or two each day, or once a week!"</p>
<p>His brother has the craftiness to look happy with the whole situation.</p>
<p>Amenadiel isn't enjoying himself in the least, so he continues. "So, if I open the cabinets, I'll find food? Real food?"</p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't answer, so it seems to be one of those rare times when the man remains strangely calm.</p>
<p>"And when I open the door of your room, I won't find sexual toys, drogs that are considerably toxic for human consumption?" he says sarcastically.</p>
<p>Lucifer shakes his head at him. "She's perfectly safe here, Amenadiel."</p>
<p>Amenadiel snorts, unconvinced. "If your sex toys are a signal, she's not, Lucifer." Given the prospect of replicating, Amenadiel continues. "Explosive, harmful or toxic substances that are in close proximity to a five-year-old child doesn't make her safe."</p>
<p>Lucifer is properly abashed… for a moment. Then he looks confident. "I will eliminate them!"</p>
<p>Amenadiel's voice is a whisper. "He isn't an experiment!, She is a child, Lucifer!"</p>
<p>Lucifer's reaction isn't the expected one. It comes in the form of a thud on the table. The type of thud that leaves a mark on the surface. His eyes are full of so many feelings that it's impossible to say that this man is the devil and not feel anything, or worry about anyone.</p>
<p>"I know." His voice is loaded with tangible emotion. "I do." Lucifer sighs. "I understand, that she's not an experiment. I just wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. EVER."</p>
<p> Amenadiel doesn't know what to make of that. He can only agree.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Let's continue from when where Amenadiel interrupted us abruptly." Lucifer lifts a paper with the letter L printed on it.  </p>
<p>"How educational of you," Amenadiel comments, sitting in ther sofa with a smile.</p>
<p>Lucifer continues. "L is for..."</p>
<p>Trixie bites her lips in deep concentration. "Lucifer" She concentrates again. "Lux"</p>
<p>A smile escapes Lucifer's lips. "Excellent, urchin."</p>
<p>Amenadiel looks confused, while his brother continues. Now the paper in Lucifer's hand has the letter D on it.</p>
<p>"Devil, Demon" The girl responds quickly, and Lucifer could not look more proud. Amenadiel is sure of that.</p>
<p> "You know it doesn't work that way. " Amenadiel remarks. "You have to teach her the letters, not celestial things. She's five years old. Dear father!"</p>
<p>Lucifer lets out a loud laugh. "It's never too early to learn, Amenadiel."</p>
<p>Amenadiel takes the piece of paper. "It's something like this. ‘A’ is for… Aunt, Apple, Ant"</p>
<p>"Angel" The child responds.</p>
<p>"Umm... Yeah. I suppose," Amenadiel responds.</p>
<p>"Eloquent as always, brother, " Lucifer jokes.</p>
<p>"You know what? You teach her. I'll go."Amenadiel says and Lucifer takes that as a small victory.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>To Amenadiel's surprise, things change a bit.</p>
<p>As the days go by, there is more food and less sex toys kept around the attic.</p>
<p>Beatrice's presence becomes noticeably more constant.</p>
<p>It's refreshing. The atmosphere that was once filled with shadows is replaced by the glow that the smiling child emits.</p>
<p>Lucifer looks happier, and in his rare form of happiness, smiles more.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel Espinoza appears a few days later.</p>
<p>Looking for his help to find some clues related to a night place based on sex games.</p>
<p>"Wow, he's an Detective, Luci!" Trixie yells, louder than necessary. "COOL!</p>
<p>Lucifer nods, avoiding rolling his eyes at the little one's obvious joy. "I see you've met Detective Douche."</p>
<p>The man gives him a look of disgust and drops his bag on the ground. His gaze rests on the child, who jumps from one side to the other. "Do you want to hear another story, Trixie?" he asks with a smile. "There are many that you'll surely like."</p>
<p>Lucifer grimaces at that. However, ignoring the situation around him, the girl shouts again with enthusiasm. "Yes, Yes!"</p>
<p>But that's just the beginning.</p>
<p>For two full weeks Trixie seems ecstatic with Douche's presence, repeats every words that comes out of his mouth and imitates each of his movements.</p>
<p>She even uses one of the police shirts that Dan has given her. To Lucifer's annoyance.</p>
<p>But that just keeps on only being the beginning.</p>
<p>Maze appears thirteen days later, to everyone's surprise.</p>
<p>And the emotion Trixie felt for Daniel is multiplied exponentially for the older demon. Lucifer assures her that it’s because Trixie believes she is a type of spy.</p>
<p>For Maze, it takes some time to adapt to the child.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The first time Maze sees her. It's by mistake. Accidental.</p>
<p>It started as something simple. A shock that comes from one of the rooms, followed by a series of steps. Half a second later, a girl jumps in, out of breath, as if she's just run a great distance and looking a lot like an excited puppy. Maze gives her a serious look, while inspecting the little one is in front of her. Maze is sure she hasn't seen the girl before. Unruly hair, deep brown eyes and a tender smile that's almost too adorable, accompanied by a sweet little voice.</p>
<p>A smile that disappears from her face as soon as her eyes focus on the stranger woman in the room.</p>
<p>The child takes a step back, clearly altered by her presence. Her hands are clenched into fists. The child stares at her from head to toe, resting her gaze on the classic whip that rests in Maze's hand.</p>
<p>Maze takes a tentative step forward, analyzing the new child. Automatically, the child's eyes open in horror at the sound on the floor.</p>
<p>She is scared, Maze know that.</p>
<p>Five years old, middle -class, if her clothes are a sign.</p>
<p>Blue t-shirt with white edges and a unicorn print on it.</p>
<p>Unable to maintain her gaze for a long time. The girl bites her lower lip, a sign of nervousness before strangers. Shy, introverted for social encounters.</p>
<p>Old bruises on the left forearm. Right radial fracture two years ago, treated and overcome.</p>
<p>The child was previously mistreated by a father figure.</p>
<p>There are scrapes on her left upper limb; a hand mark on her right shoulder. The girl was recently pushed. By a taller and stronger child.</p>
<p>She's being currently mistreated by her companions.</p>
<p>Maze's heart sinks a little for the girl with puppy eyes.</p>
<p>How strange is that for someone like her. A demon. A punisher.</p>
<p>Her look is a mixture of innocence and a terror. The demon, finds herself strangely wanting to know more about this girl.</p>
<p>Maze takes another step closer, and the child's breathing increases. The girl takes two steps back, then her feet collide with the sofa.</p>
<p>Maze is about to speak when a hand on her shoulder stops her.</p>
<p>"Enough scaring of the girl, Maze," Amenadiel rebukes. "Leave that for the men you chase."</p>
<p>"If you say so!" Maze responds dryly without a grimace. She can feel the child's eyes cataloging her again. She calmer with the presence of the annoying angel in the room. "Since Lucifer isn't here, I have to go."</p>
<p>With that, she leaves the room, not without hearing the angel's words.</p>
<p>"Don't be scared Trixie, that was Lucifer's dem…"but the word doesn't escape his lips. Amenadiel doesn't think it is correct to say that in front of a five year old girl. He doesn't want to scare her anymore. "Maze. She's a very serious woman, but she cares a lot about my brother. "</p>
<p>Maze permits a smile to curve her face; she's too far away to hear the child's response.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The second time it happens. Maze doesn't knowing what to do. She's completely baffled.</p>
<p>Her steps are slow as she goes go upstairs. She can hear Patrick's incessant chatter over the phone as he prepares one of his famous drinks.</p>
<p>She continues to her destination. There are more important matters to discuss than the new girlfriend of the hot bartender.</p>
<p>She stops in the room to see the same child sitting in one of the armchairs without concern. A piece of chocolate cake adorns her left hand and a game control is in her right.</p>
<p>And that is the moment in which, their eyes meet. The girl's great brown orbs detail Maze in her totality, so Maze expects to see terror in the girl's eyes again, the increase in her breathing, and the slight tremor of her lower lip.</p>
<p>But that doesn't happen.</p>
<p>Maze is greeted with a smile full of white teeth and a bright look.</p>
<p>"I was scared the last time. I'm sorry," she says totally relaxed.</p>
<p>Maze’s face must show a grimace of confusion, because the child continues talking.</p>
<p>"It's impolite to judge people without knowing them." The girl takes a breath, looks at the ground quickly and then her gaze falls on Maze. "I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Average intelligence? Scratch that. It's the first thing Maze thinks.</p>
<p>The child leaves the cake on the table, places the game control on her seat and jumps up.</p>
<p>Maze watches the gesture without saying anything.</p>
<p>The child walks towards Maze. She comes to a stop in front of Maze and smiles. Her eyes are kind and full of so much brilliance that the older demon can not help but smile back.</p>
<p>"I'm Beatrice, but everybody call me Trixie. Nice to meet you."</p>
<p>"Nice to meet you, Trixie. I'm Maze." Her voice is husky, she tries not to sound intimidating. The child doesn't shrink or tremble, so she takes it as a good thing.</p>
<p>Trixie quickly takes Maze's hand. Maze gasps at this gesture, her small hand warm and comforting. She leads Maze to the chair and offers her the rest of the cake. Trixie gives her another smile.</p>
<p>"Luci isn't here. He's solving a case, but he'll be back soon," she assured Maze with too much confidence for a five-year-old child.</p>
<p>One side of herself is, very different from the one Maze saw previously.</p>
<p>"Dan said I couldn't go," she pouts. "He said it was a very violent scene for someone of my height."</p>
<p>Maze snorts. He doesn't say? The Inspector uses his brain to think. Maze is horrified at the idea of the little smiling girl coming face -to -face with the grim, bloody scenarios that often grab Lucifer's attention. Trixie is an innocent child. Too innocent.</p>
<p>Beatrice's voice takes her out of her thoughts. "It doesn't bother me, because I'm going to grow up soon."</p>
<p>Maze's lips curve, but if someone asks, she'll refuse to say it's a smile.</p>
<p>Trixie responds with a funny laugh.</p>
<p>She tells Maze how small she is now, but that the growth of her bones is progressing, so she will be taller next year. Her teacher said it in class, and she never lies about anything.</p>
<p> Then she talks about what hse learned today about the Solar system. She tells Maze, who listens attentively, how she wants to learn about all the planets. Luci. Maze rolls her eyes at the nickname. He’s told her that he will teach her everything she should know, because there are silly and absurd things that do not need to occupy the space in her brain.</p>
<p>Maze is surprised to find herself smiling at the child's words. Great words. Maze has misjudged her; she’s too smart to be five years old.</p>
<p>The chat seems to have stopped, so Maze signals to the game, then to the TV screen.</p>
<p>"It's Luci's game. You walk through the villages competing against dragons, knights and magicians. You have to save the princess to win the game." She explains as if he’s an expert in the Trixie, moving his hands to indicate his point. "You can try it if you want. It's very easy."</p>
<p>"Amenadiel is the soldier, Luci is the dragon, and I am the magician." She enumerates slowly without stopping, looking at her. "You can have your own character." She points excitedly.</p>
<p>Maze finds that she simply can't resist.       </p>
<p>"And who should I be?" Maze asks seriously.</p>
<p>Trixie doesn't disappoint. She laughs, takes another bite of her cake, then speaks. "The black knight. Of course."</p>
<p>Maze gives Trixie a completely youthful look. "Of course."</p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"I told you." He flutters his fingers at Lucifer dismissively with a smirk. "Twins. "</p>
<p>He chuckles and responds. "For aesthetic surgery, not for genetics, Douche. "</p>
<p>Dan is about to reply when a sharp cry is heard. Beatrice.</p>
<p>"No, no!"... Trixie yells.</p>
<p>They don't think a second more. They both run desperately when the elevador doors open.</p>
<p>Silence falls. His blood freezes. Lucifer is clearly looking for the possible trace of danger in the environment. He breathes intensely, focusing on what's in front of his eyes.</p>
<p>Trixie's mouth is open, like her eyes. She focuses on them.</p>
<p>Maze looks equally surprised. Her hair is slightly disheveled, her jacket on the seat next to her and, a game control is in her right hand.</p>
<p>A plate is set on the table, sprinkled with the crumbs of the chocolate cake.</p>
<p>An animated noise brings everyone back to the screen. And boom! Game over.</p>
<p>"No... No!" Trixie screams.  "You almost won Maze!"</p>
<p>Dan looks at the demon, then to the child. Then the ridiculousness comes to him, and he bursts into laughter.</p>
<p>“Jesus! We thought that…”</p>
<p>However, the disapproving look on Lucifer's face says what his mouth doesn't.</p>
<p>Maze gets up, shaking the crumbs of cale from her clothes. She puts on her suit jacket and looks as serious as the first time she entered Lux.</p>
<p>"Can I have a word, Maze?” Lucifer asks, as his eyebrows furrow. </p>
<p>"Later"</p>
<p>Trixie frowns at her. She pouts. Lucifer's jaw tenses.</p>
<p>"Can we play again, another day?" Trixie’s voice is quiet; she's afraid to ask Maze.</p>
<p>It breaks Lucifer's heart. It breaks because he knows the answer. He knows Maze too much.</p>
<p>He waits, for the pain, the serious words, the disdain in her voice.</p>
<p>But none of that comes.</p>
<p>The older demon rests her hand on the child's shoulder.  "Sure thing. Maybe, you can teach me those magic tricks. "</p>
<p>Trixie's answer comes in the form of a genuine laugh. "Cool!"</p>
<p>She says goodbye to an astonished-looking Dan.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When Maze arrives at her vehicle, he counts the seconds, and turns around in perfect synchrony to look at her, standing outside Lux.</p>
<p>The question remains long enough in his eyes for Maze to conveniently read it<em>. &lt;Why?&gt;</em></p>
<p>"If a five-year-old child invites you to play, you say yes." Maze pauses dramatically. "It's about common courtesy, Luci. "</p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't believe her. There’s something else there. But he isn't able to work out what it is.</p>
<p>He probably won’t do it for a while.</p>
<p>Not until it's too late. Maze thinks sadly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>What do you think? Thoughts about trixie's father?  About Maze and Trixie?<br/>I invite you to read my other stories.<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The magic of her eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello.<br/>I'm back.<br/>I can't thank you enough for your constant motivation; it's very nice to feel that another person appreciates your writing.<br/>Stay safe everyone and take care.<br/>I invite you to read my other stories. I hope you like it.<br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me.<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer.<br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>The irritating thing about love is that it is a crime that requires an accomplice.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They say that love comes without warning, that it is a hidden messenger that uses vile techniques to steal the hearts of two lovers and before they realize that something great is about to happen, it has already happened. Attraction is only the first step, the rest usually comes with time.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The weeks have gone by without any real fun.</p>
<p>Lucifer can only hope that some serial killer comes out to play and he can have fun with them.</p>
<p>However, that seems a distant possibility.</p>
<p> Lucifer opens the doors with a dramatic gesture, arranges his suit and observes the interior.</p>
<p>The eyes of those present focus on him.</p>
<p>Hernandez, the pathologist boy, dark, tall and handsome.</p>
<p>Daniel with questions in his eyes.</p>
<p>He smacks his lips with a grimace and stops to look at the blackboard, filled with photos full of evidence and possible suspects.</p>
<p>Daniel speaks, presenting the facts, but his voice doesn't reach Lucifer's ears. He's too distracted, observing the perfection with which the woman is holding notes on the other side of the table. It's not that he hasn't seen someone take notes hundreds of times before, by other equally trained professionals; it's simply that her manual ability makes his heart rate increase.</p>
<p>Then she explains a possible hypothesis and Lucifer is sighing.</p>
<p>Dear father. He's never heard something so perfectly explained before.</p>
<p>Her hands move with the synchronicity of a painter, sketching painted colors on a blank canvas. Her strokes are harmonious and melodious with the position her body adopts when she moves.</p>
<p>And if that weren't enough, her voice is the final complement - that of an angel. Soft, serene, gentle. Her whispers are precise words describing the body in front of her, so Lucifer can only admire her in great detail for what seems to be only minutes.</p>
<p>The sound of her melodious voice stops, the silence fills the air, and for the first time Lucifer Morningstar feels lost - the angelic voice has left only noise in his mind as it passes through.</p>
<p>It's disconcerting, to tell the truth.</p>
<p>Even more disconcerting is hergaze. Her blue eyes shine when they look at him. Those eyes in what he might lose himself and never want to meet again; greet him with a language that he can't understand... doesn't want to understand.</p>
<p>His heart beats fast. He purses his lips, wanting to evade the sensation.</p>
<p>Then she does the unthinkable. She smiles.</p>
<p>And his world moves from one place to another.</p>
<p>He's hit with one of the strongest sensations he's felt in eones. His heart beats at a disconcertingly high rate, his hands sweat and his stomach twists. He's sure that his pupils dilate before her beautiful smile, but it's a fact that erases instantly.</p>
<p>He shakes his head and turns to. "Someone has heard my pleas. A competent police has come to this forgotten place."</p>
<p>Hernandez rolls her eyes and Dan smiles openly, as if he will keep an internal secret.</p>
<p>"What will you do to analyze this case? Will you find the guilty one? Or will you just look pretty while you talk?"Lucifer asks curiously wanting to provoke her.</p>
<p>"You have some ball on you, pall"</p>
<p>He laughs at her wit "Thank you very much, but they are really average size"</p>
<p>She smiles even more. And Lucifer hates what a woman can make him feel.</p>
<p>He hates the way his mind seems to freeze at her look, her smile.</p>
<p>This has to stop. It's his first coherent thought.</p>
<p>He must try something different. Level his own playing field.</p>
<p>"You know... I think I saw you. Have we met before?"</p>
<p>"Yes, a few weeks ago"</p>
<p>He shakes his head. His smile is predatory when he speaks again. "No"</p>
<p>This doesn't bose well, Dan thinks.</p>
<p>"Are you sure we haven't seen each other before" He slides his gaze from the perfect curves of her hair to the tip of her brown boots. She is a pretty thing. Lucifer knows her. He is sure of it. "I could have sworn I've seen you naked."</p>
<p>"Lucifer!" Dan warns, but he is far from dropping it.</p>
<p>His voice drops an octave, dangerously.</p>
<p>"Tell me: Have we had sex?"</p>
<p>Dan lets out a sound of astonishment, while Hernandez's eyes open wide.</p>
<p>Her lips form a grimace, a goodbye smile. Goodbye dreamy eyes.</p>
<p>Well, she will learn, he says to himself, ignoring the weight taking hold of his chest as her eyes fall. She wants to cry, he can see it. However, she makes a great effort to avoid it.</p>
<p>"No," she says, and he blinks in surprise. "I'm sorry to tell you Mr. Morningstar that I am not one of your quick conquests. I'm not the type of woman who is attracted to your famous charisma"</p>
<p>Lucifer watches her more closely. His lip trembles with irritation.</p>
<p>Dan must really intervene for the poor woman's sake, but the boy next to him speaks before he can.</p>
<p>"Aren't you the girl from that movie?" The question comes from Hernandez's lips and Daniel wants to slap him on the spot.</p>
<p>"What is this? What movie? "Lucifer is excited at it.</p>
<p>"You used to be an actress or something. Right?" Hernandez asks again and Lucifer really thinks about getting him a night out with the Brittanys. The boy deserves it.</p>
<p>"Yes" she says, quick and louder than she meant to. Her expression has changed.</p>
<p>And Lucifer almost feels bad about it. But he loves movies, so the feeling quickly disappears, he smiles again.</p>
<p>"The teenager movie, I always forget what it's called"Hernandez says excitedly.</p>
<p>"Hot Tub High School." The words leave his lips like sin spreading in the air. "Of course. I know you from there" The realization shines in his eyes as he admires the view. The years have made her an even more impressive woman. "It is the one with the famous nude scene, coming out of the jacuzzi. It was a complete copy of fast times" The emotion runs through his body, he has seen that movie so many times, so many times it has focused on her eyes, on her beautiful body. "You were like the new Phoebe cates. That was all a nude"</p>
<p>"Of course you will only know about nudity, because there is no way you know people differently, but this hasn't been the case, right, Mr. Morningstar?"</p>
<p>The dry closing doors of the office gives Chloe the answer.</p>
<p>Dan looks surprised, but he proudly applauds the woman in front of him.</p>
<p>"That was incredible!" Hernandez says.</p>
<p>"The imbecile, for once in life has been silenced, in good time," Dan celebrates, laughing.</p>
<p>But that's just their first interaction.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Two days pass before he sees her again.</p>
<p>She's sitting at one of the open-air tables at the local cafeteria, near her work. Her hair flutters against the wind, shining brightly in the warm sunlight.</p>
<p>The pages of <em>Pride and Prejudice</em> flutter with her interest overflowing, while her pink lips curve in a lost smile before each written word.</p>
<p>The coffee by her side has cooled; it has been forgotten.</p>
<p>But he isn't paying attention. Not really. And much less at her.</p>
<p>Not definitively, he wasn't thinking about her. Nor about what her mere presence seems to do to his limbic system, much less to his heart.</p>
<p>Even if he was, the thought doesn't last long, as the heavy voice of the waitress reaches his ears.</p>
<p>"Hello handsome, do you still want your coffee?"</p>
<p>His lips close in a deep line, letting out a snort.</p>
<p>He clicks his tongue, turns his gaze away and continues on his way, wanting to forget her flowing hair and her beautiful pink lips.</p>
<p>It's only the second time that he has noticed her.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Three weeks later</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He manages to sneak into Dan's office when the workday ends.</p>
<p>Daniel would lecture him if he knew.</p>
<p>
  <em>You can't play detective, you're a consultant, man.</em>
</p>
<p>The idiot would definitely complain.</p>
<p>But Lucifer wants to review the file, from a particular case that happened days ago. The case involving a murder in a lion's cage at the city's famous zoo. He wants to get the contact details to speak to the provider.</p>
<p>Maybe he can get Beatrice an exotic pet.</p>
<p>He smiles like a child with a new sweet. </p>
<p>Or something boring, daddy does't want it, as a book full of exotic animals and discoveries about their original habitat.</p>
<p>Trixie will be impressed to see his achievement. Lucifer's smile grows even more, thinking about how animated Trixie will be - the questions she will ask and how his own answers will generate greater knowledge in the child about the exoctic animal´s world.</p>
<p>He also wants her to learn more about the stars, his own creation. He illuminated them after all.</p>
<p>He's about to finish to look for Astronomy books, when his movements are stopped by the sound of laughter that echoes and filters in the office.</p>
<p>Lucifer rolls his eyes, both for a moment of tranquility.</p>
<p>He can hear Anna's loud laugh, the redhead waitress mixed with a much softer, melodious laugh.</p>
<p>Lucifer looks for the source of the sound.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Anna apologizes with a wave of her hand, picks up the dirty items, following her path and leaving the new woman in front of him.</p>
<p>The woman, with her white sweater and ponytail.</p>
<p>Fury swirls in the air, along with another emotion that he can't decipher.</p>
<p>Lucifer's eyes roam her face. Her deep blue eyes, honey and gold hair, perfect nose and full pink lips. He must admit that she's beautiful.</p>
<p>His lips close in a deep line, letting out a snort.</p>
<p>Since when had she become a piece of admiration for him?</p>
<p>Since when he admires a woman for more than five minutes in a row without taking her to bed and getting what he wants from her.</p>
<p>Another laugh. She seems funny with her gestures as she enters the room. She bites her lips and smiles with curiosity.</p>
<p>His treacherous heart beats fast when her blue eyes alight on his dark eyes.</p>
<p>The place suddenly feels much smaller.</p>
<p>Strange.</p>
<p>Lucifer looks away. He is dedicated to continuing his work.</p>
<p>She takes a few steps and stops in front of him, making him quickly tense. "What are you working on?" she asks.</p>
<p>"Nothing."</p>
<p>She looks at him. Due to her proximity, she probably forgot their interaction.</p>
<p>And he has too.</p>
<p>He didn't even remember her.</p>
<p>It's not as if he watched her movie every night for the past few weeks thinking of his hypnotic blue eyes.</p>
<p>Of course not.</p>
<p>"It does't look like anything." She insists.</p>
<p>"Constellations"</p>
<p>He responds irritably and continues with an online book search.</p>
<p>The silence returns, and he thinks he's frightened her, until she speaks again.</p>
<p>"Can I see?" she asks with curiosity. Her eyes light up, and his heart skips.</p>
<p>Damn woman and her effect on him.</p>
<p>He steps aside, allowing her to look at the computer and the list of books.</p>
<p>The woman smiles animatedly, takes two steps and bows.</p>
<p>A chill runs through his body when her heat absorbs him. "Constellations" she begins. Her voice is soft, and her breath is hot on his neck.</p>
<p>He closes his eyes, swallows and nods. "Constellations are groups of stars that evoke the figure of an animal, a mythological being, or some inanimate object. The name constellation comes from the Latin constellatio and literally means group of stars" She recites this happily, as if she’s talking about the weather.</p>
<p>Lucifer lets out a sigh that he didn't know he was holding when he heard her words. Her words leave him breathless, they are a breath of fresh air, it's something new for him to talk about his old interests with someone who can really understand them. Very different from the conversations he had with Ella, if they can be considered conversations. But again, why is he comparing Ella with this new woman?</p>
<p>Lucifer omits that line of thought.</p>
<p>"How?"</p>
<p>She laughs. "Don't my body language, tell you anything?" Chloe asks, raising her eyebrows.</p>
<p>Lucifer almost smiles at that. Keyword: almost.</p>
<p>"I used to go see the stars with my father when I was seven years old."</p>
<p>Lucifer crosses hisarms. His posture speaks volumes about his arrogance. "I know every constellation that exists in the universe from eons ago."</p>
<p>"Eons ago, just wow!" She bites her lip, laughing. "I worked in an astronomy laboratory when I was 15"</p>
<p>He doesn't offer a truce. "My job was to light up the stars, I'm the lightbringer after all"</p>
<p>"God." She laughs again. And he finds himself smiling at that. "That's hard to beat."</p>
<p>Her laughter calms down.</p>
<p>She takes a breath and watches him closely.</p>
<p>"What is it?" Lucifer asks, seeing her expression, not wanting to throw inferences at her.</p>
<p>She shakes her head fervently. "Nothing. I realize you're not who I thought you were. You're much better, that's all."</p>
<p>His forehead wrinkles. "You have a very high perception of someone you just met."</p>
<p>She thinks and elaborates her answer. "I have a gift for reading people."</p>
<p>The devilish smile that divides his face lights up his eyes. "Someone is stealing my lines"</p>
<p>She's about to reply, but he stops her.</p>
<p>"I have a certain skill, I can be very persuasive with people" He pauses dramatically."And I tend to see things that others can't"</p>
<p>That explains why a civilian, club owner helps with police cases. "Are you psychic or something?"</p>
<p>He looks at her with an amused smile playing on his lips. "No, I can't read people's minds. I'm not a Jedi. People like to tell me things."</p>
<p>She gives him a skeptical look. "They just say things to you?, they simply confess their sins"</p>
<p>"No, not their sins," He shakes his head quickly, his eyes never leave her. "I have no power over people's sins. I actually have a bad reputation for it."</p>
<p>His lips contract in a line. He really hates that.</p>
<p>Being blamed for everything bad that happens in the world.</p>
<p>Being blamed for men's bad decisions.</p>
<p>Lucifer presses his lips together before he seems to realize he's done so because then his expression is blank again, so empty and impassive that it makes something in the beautiful woman's face shows out.</p>
<p>So he keeps talking."I have the ability to expose people's forbidden wishes, the simpler the human is, the easier," He pauses to meet her gaze. Her blue eyes sparkle at his words, offering him a challenge. And he loves challenges. He smiles at her, licks his lips, and speaks softly.</p>
<p>His voice softens, wanting to captivate the wonderful woman in front of him.</p>
<p>"The more complex, the more challenging and exciting" She gives him a puzzled look, and he loves the look. "But sinners, it's you people"</p>
<p>"Us…" She frowns."People"</p>
<p>She lowers her gaze, but she is smart. He can see it.</p>
<p>Her mind flutters, and emotion reaches her eyes when she understands his words.</p>
<p>"I get it!, the all Lucifer thing… and desire is your super power"</p>
<p>"It's more of a gift from God, really."</p>
<p>She remains silent and strangely he does not feel the discomfort of those kinds of moments.</p>
<p>It's peaceful.</p>
<p>And weird.</p>
<p>Like her.</p>
<p>Or maybe not.</p>
<p>She has been an enigma from the moment he saw her.</p>
<p>An enigma that must be solved.</p>
<p>He smiles captivatingly at her.</p>
<p>And if there is someone who can solve complex people, it is him.</p>
<p>It is time to use his ability with her.</p>
<p>His mind blinks with excitement at it.</p>
<p>His heart is pounding against his chest at what he is about to do.</p>
<p>He slowly approaches her. Her prey.</p>
<p>And this has never felt as exciting as it does now for him.</p>
<p>Her floral perfume floods his senses.</p>
<p>She looks at him with those beautiful blue eyes, full of curiosity, full of secrets wanting to tell.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles. There is a lot of potential in her.</p>
<p>He feels her breath linger on his lips as he fixes his dark eyes on her. His heart is pounding against his chest as he speaks softer, low and quiet. "What do you want more than anything in this life?"</p>
<p>She blinks in surprise for a few seconds, then a smile lights up her face. "This is. Is this your great trick?"</p>
<p>He shakes his head confused and amazed.</p>
<p>That's new.</p>
<p>No one had ever been able to resist his ability before.</p>
<p>"You're not a Jedi or something, are you?"</p>
<p>She smiles.</p>
<p>"I'm Chloe... "</p>
<p>"I know, I remember."</p>
<p>Her smile illuminates the room for a long time after she's gone.</p>
<p>He should hate her. But he finds himself smiling every time he remembers the exchange.</p>
<p>It's only the third time that Lucifer Morningstar looks at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>No one is able to hide for long.</strong>
</p>
<p>He is a man with a vigorous body, his unfriendly face and voluminous black hair slicked back, making him look like a fierce young businessman, wearing dark pants, a white shirt and a worn leather jacket. Sitting at his desk, he thinks that it had been his life in recent years, although the circumstances were not in his favor in the past, now he had all the power enough to put anyone's world at his feet, the power was in his hands and that made him feel completely fine.</p>
<p>Taking a look at the photos that obsessively adorn the walls of his studio, the woman with beautiful blue eyes invades the room with her majestic smile, torturing him slowly, he can almost taste the smell of her perfume and the softness of her blonde hair, he wants her; she is still his main trophy, "You are mine" he says to one of the photos as he takes out a cigar from a mahogany colored box and starts smoking it, the world returns to him when the incessant noise of the phone diverts the wave of thoughts that consume it.</p>
<p>"Sir, we found them," declares a loud voice on the other end of the line.</p>
<p>"How are they?" he asks without an iota of emotion seeping through his voice. "Do you have all the details that I have asked you?"</p>
<p>"Yes" the voice answers. "A report should be arriving at your home in a few moments."</p>
<p>"Well done Adams!" the man says. "You will be well paid, the money will be in your account in an hour."</p>
<p>"Perfect sir, goodbye" he announces before cutting.</p>
<p>He had found them, it was all a matter of time; he knew that a man as powerful as he was always successful and this time it would be no different.</p>
<p>They were his after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>What do you think? Thoughts about trixie's father?  About Chloe and Luci?<br/>I invite you to read my other stories.<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chloe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. OMG! I don´t even know what to say. I´m very happy with the comments of this story. Thank you all for being so kind.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other stories: I invite you to read my other stories: Friday I'm In Love  and Unforgettable</p>
<p>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She was hired to be a police assistant, in effect a pólice woman studying to become a detective in a couple of years, but he is sure that with her knowledge and impulses she will go far. Really far.</p>
<p>It’s five days, fifteen hours, twenty-two minutes and forty-three seconds when he sees her again. She's teaching about the rights and duties of officers in LA.</p>
<p>He can't help marveling at the ease with which her words form simple concepts, how she can create patterns of images with her delicate hands, and the way in which her laughter drowns out the silence that surrounds them.</p>
<p>A warm feeling begins under his feet and extends to every cell in his body when he hears her laugh.</p>
<p>That same feeling increases when she sees him and smiles. He feels groggy, but as the words escape from her lips about punishment, justice and loyalty, the feeling become bearable. He closes his eyes and breathes.</p>
<p>When his eyes open again and the words end, the feeling is gone. Lucifer is particularly disturbed.</p>
<p>"Hello, Lucifer!" she greets animatedly in a tone that he catalogs as ‘sweet.’</p>
<p>He remains motionless, not daring to speak. He doesn't want to show how strongly his heart beats inside his chest at the mere sight of her.</p>
<p>She's no idea what her eyes do to his blood, to his brain.</p>
<p>She just smiles innocently.</p>
<p>He internally curses the torrent of emotions that have awakened in him since the urchin arrival. Emotions that mix and alter with Chloe’s look.</p>
<p>By the time he takes a step, the students have left, leaving him alone with the little woman.</p>
<p>Another minute passes when she speaks again. "Are you okay?"</p>
<p>Lucifer just watches her with what anyone else would say is curiosity. "I found your explanation incredibly satisfying."</p>
<p>She lets out a laugh at that.</p>
<p>He tilts his head slightly. "What aspect of my statement do you find amusing?"</p>
<p>She shakes her head. "Nothing… I’m just relieved. If I can impress you, I can impress anyone."</p>
<p>"That is an incorrect assumption, " he says honestly. "You’re by far the most qualified professional in the whole bloody place."</p>
<p>Chloe looks surprised. "Is that a compliment?"</p>
<p>He evades her look and walks around the table that contains her notes when he speaks. "A statement of fact. "</p>
<p>The blush on her face is the best answer he’s ever wanted to receive.</p>
<p>For some rare reason, he wants to know what other phrases he can say to make her blush in the same way.</p>
<p>The doors open.</p>
<p>Jeremias smiles sweetly at Chloe, holding a test tube in his hands. He's wearing a new cologne; his hair is combed differently, too. He wants to impress Chloe, that's clear.</p>
<p>Lucifer snorts.</p>
<p>"I found the results of the analyzes of Mr Martins, Chlo!" he says.</p>
<p>"Full points for enthusiasm, Jeremias, but unfortunately, big guy, you won’t fit in the police unit. Sorry." </p>
<p>Jeremias’s mouth falls open, unimpressed. "But I know how he died…”</p>
<p>"Palladium poison." Lucifer discards Jeremias’s speech with a wave of his hand. "Anyone with more than an iota of intelligence would know that. How boring."</p>
<p>The young man's eyes open with horror and Chloe makes a sound of disapproval. "I'm sorry, Jeremias. Apparently, Mr Morningstar has completely lost what little sanity he has left."</p>
<p>Lucifer shrugs, while Jeremias nods, then leaves with his head down the same way he entered.</p>
<p>Chloe crosses her arms over her chest, annoyed with Lucifer’s outburst.</p>
<p>He doesn't care. She will have to get used to his strong words, harsh and sarcastic comments.</p>
<p>"Are you here to terrorize all the pathologists in the place, or do you need something?"</p>
<p>Lucifer is cynical enough to look innocent at her question.</p>
<p>"This is me, saying hello Little detective."</p>
<p>Chloe exhales, then nods.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> "Mr. Morningstar is incredibly formal. My colleagues call me Lucifer," he comments two days later, sitting next to her in the police cafeteria.</p>
<p>She swallows her lemon cake and then nods.</p>
<p>A smile plays on Lucifer's lips.</p>
<p>She likes that particular curve, so she finds herself smiling in return.</p>
<p>He watches her for two long minutes and with that he leaves.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He uses her computer for a whole hour before getting bored. His gaze moves away from the pc and stops at Chloe.</p>
<p>She hums The Beatles' yellow submarine as her hands moves against the paper.</p>
<p>She is exceptionally good at drawing.</p>
<p>She has a look of concentration on her face. Her tongue touches her lower lip.</p>
<p>He finds himself smiling.</p>
<p>Her cheekbones are soft, her features are similar to those of a cherub, and her hair shines in some way before the light. He observes her, intrigued, and swallows.</p>
<p>He’s almost forgotten how beautiful Chloe is.</p>
<p>But his attention is broken by the sound of her voice. "You' re insatiably curious, " she says erroneously, believing that his attention is fixed on the technique she's using to drawing, and not on the beauty in which he finds himself immersed when she' s near.</p>
<p>However, he doesn't contradict her. He can't.</p>
<p>He shrugs. "Only in the presence of especially capable hands." There is a funny twinkle in her eyes that has him smiling sincerely. "There are techniques that deserve to be admired."</p>
<p>"Don’t say things like that, Lucifer, I might have to start being nice to you," she replies as she smiles in return.</p>
<p>"That would be unfortunate," he says, as easily and as lightly as he says anything, and she huffs out a quiet laugh.</p>
<p>There is a pause, then: "Well, be my guest! Take a couple of markers and do the following talking portrait."</p>
<p>His mouth opens, then closes.</p>
<p>It's not that he hasn't do it before, it's that he's never done it in front of her.</p>
<p>There is something exciting about that.</p>
<p>To be observed, and guided by her, in her domain, nothing more nor less.</p>
<p>"You must take the marker by the end. It is used to perform fine motor acts, using the anterior pressure triangle of the hand, which consists of the thumb, the index finger and, in rare cases, the middle finger, "explains Chloe, demonstrating the movement first with her own fingers."</p>
<p> Lucifer's dark eyes process the image. He is sure it will be repeated in his mind a couple of times.</p>
<p>The harmony of movement is an art which has him completely in love.</p>
<p>Her voice is low, gentle. As if she will need nothing more to gain his attention. "Carefully. As if you are holding a brush and its movement is made on a thin canvas."</p>
<p>He can only nod.</p>
<p>"Treat the paper with nothing but care."</p>
<p>He looks to the marker, then back up to meet her warm blue eyes.</p>
<p>"Your turn," she says with a smile.</p>
<p>Lucifer follows her example and takes the by the handle.</p>
<p>He looks at the paper with one of those curious looks he gives to things, trying to decipher who it belonged to.</p>
<p>Her voice brings him back to reality. "Need a hand?"</p>
<p>He looks up at her. "No."</p>
<p>She giggles, and his heart jumps again at the sound. "You sure?"</p>
<p>His lips form a thin line; he will not smile. He does not. "Yes."</p>
<p>"You’re going to do it by yourself?"</p>
<p>"I am. "</p>
<p>She can’t help but huff out a quiet laugh.</p>
<p>"This year?"</p>
<p>His response is an exasperated sound.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's just a couple of days later, just after lunch, when Lucifer appears again and she can finally talk to him.  It's then that she realizes how excited she is about the prospect.</p>
<p>She smiles, and he nods, sitting before her in the cafeteria.</p>
<p>His hands drum on the table. She looks at him but says nothing, drinking her coffee in silence.</p>
<p>"I thought she was married," he said casually, when he observes a police flirting with a male employee. "She has a son."</p>
<p>"Some women have goals, careers and dreams before settling down and getting married. In addition, there are women who have children without getting married these days." Chloe tilts her face to him; an unspoken challenge.</p>
<p>"How progressive of them."</p>
<p>"Is it so hard to believe a woman can stand on her own feet and raise a child without the support of a father figure?"</p>
<p>Her eyes are full of emotion.</p>
<p>"Did I hit a nerve?" he asks, taken aback by her contemptuous reaction to his words.</p>
<p>"Women can do anything men can do! In fact, we can do it better!" she declares proudly. She's experienced first-hand being a parent, to fend for herself and get up each day with the courage to face any challenge that arises because of the love she has for her child and wanting the best for her.</p>
<p>"I have no doubt that they can," Lucifer replies politely, letting the issue go.</p>
<p>"What?" Chloe demands. "Why does everyone look at me as if I have the answers to all the mysteries of the universe?"</p>
<p> He sees the challenging expression written in her beautiful blue eyes. She'd surely think that, like all men, he’d challenge her to continue arguing and to defend her feminist line.</p>
<p>But she's wrong.</p>
<p>Lucifer's smart enough to know that this isn't an issue that will lead them down the path towards happiness.</p>
<p>"Has anyone ever told you that you're completely self-absorbed, Lucifer?"</p>
<p>"I thought it was common knowledge." His smile is large and satisfied.</p>
<p>A witty retort forms in her mouth, but is interrupted by the sound of her mobile phone. She rolls her eyes and apologizes.</p>
<p>"Decker," she answers in a professional tone.</p>
<p>"Mommy!" says the interlocutor on the other side of the line.</p>
<p>"Hey baby!" She replies affectionately, making Lucifer focus on the call, even though he is reading a text in his phone. "Is everything okay?" she asks. Her child shouldn't be calling at this hour.</p>
<p>"Everything is fine, Chlo!" Ella's voice greets her with emotion. "Incredible, even. Trix was accepted into the city's program for talented children!  Some men saw her pictures and they were impressed!"</p>
<p>"That's-" Chloe has no words to express her joy. The institute only accepts children from seven years onwards, and her girl is still young for this opportunity. "But how?"</p>
<p>She's overwhelmed, her heart filling with pride, like it always does with her girl’s talents.</p>
<p>"They said Trixie has an amazing gift and it shouldn’t go to waste! It's better to teach her at an early age, and well, she's in, Chlo!" Ella says excitedly.</p>
<p>"Mommy, Mommy, they liked my drawings! They said they were pretties!"</p>
<p> "That, monkey, that's incredible! I'm very proud of you! I was sure you'd make it. I can't wait to get home so you can tell me all the details!" she said with shining eyes.</p>
<p>"Yes! I love you, Mommy."</p>
<p>"I'll see you soon, honey, I love you. Be good." She ends the call.</p>
<p>Lucifer's eyes shoot open as he hears the blonde’s last words. He can't say exactly how he feels; there's a hint of anger that spans his chest.</p>
<p>"So? Is everything okay?" He says with clipped speech. "With him, I mean."</p>
<p>She looks at him in disbelief. "Really? That's what we're doing now?"</p>
<p>He smiles innocently and shrugs.</p>
<p>She doesn't think she's ever seen a better description of the term ‘egocentric.’</p>
<p>"The caller was my daughter," Chloe replies without looking at him, knowing that his eyes will display that fraction of incredible upheaval that she's only seen once in a while.</p>
<p>Without looking up, she smiles and whispers softly: "Are you alright, Lucifer?"</p>
<p>He nods.</p>
<p>However, he has no words. His mind is struggling with a billion questions. He feels his blood begin to boil under his skin, but he pushes his anger aside. He closes his eyes and puts his hands on his head.</p>
<p>Why didn’t she say anything before?</p>
<p>Let loose, Morningstar, say something! he berates himself.</p>
<p>"Age?"</p>
<p>"Huh?" Her eyes meet his as she bites her lower lip.</p>
<p>"The child," he clarifies. "How old is the girl?"</p>
<p>"Five, she’ll be six in a couple of months," she states, puzzled by her boss's attitude.</p>
<p>"They're amazing at that age," he declares as he remembers Beatrice. "His dad must be proud," he says discreetly.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't know. He left a while ago," she responds, avoiding his gaze. "I guess he's fine. He went to buy a lottery ticket and never returned. I guess he must have won," she says without emotion.</p>
<p>Well, now. Lucifer's brain is on the edge of overheating. For the first time in his life, there's nothing witty, sarcastic, smart or comforting he can say that can help her. He nears her, gently places a finger under her chin and lifts her face so he can see her beautiful blue eyes.</p>
<p>"Then he is a fool." He smiles at her, really smiles, a warm smile that makes her feel like everything is alright, even though everything is completely wrong.</p>
<p>She smiles back.</p>
<p>That expression on her face... that expression was so familiar to him. But he can't remember where, when or who had it before.</p>
<p>Chloe keeps smiling when his hand brushes hers. "You're an amazing woman,” he says. “I have no doubt that she's a great kid."</p>
<p>"Thanks, Lucifer," she says sincerely.</p>
<p>"Is she doing well?" The concern was palpable in his voice. "Your girl?"</p>
<p>"Yes, she's fantastic. It's all good; Don't worry, Lucifer".</p>
<p>"What's her name?" He smiles at her, one of those trademark smiles.</p>
<p>"It's… Jane."</p>
<p>"That's a good name, I already like her," he smiles.</p>
<p>Chloe doesn't bother to hide the smile or blush that glides gracefully over her cheeks.</p>
<p>"We'll see if she likes you."</p>
<p>Where the hell has she been all his life? he thinks.</p>
<p>He smiles, arms crossed over his chest, eyeing her with curiosity in his eyes. Finally, someone who could match his wits and actually challenge him.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span class="u">A week later</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>He drops the jacket of his suit on top of the table, feeling the wood trembling at the weight.</p>
<p>"Hey, watch out, down here! Superhero working!" a little voice shouts under the table.</p>
<p>"Urchin! What are you doing there?" Lucifer looks at her in disbelief when he sees her under the table. Dan giggles.</p>
<p>The child is wearing a pink cape tied around her neck. It's the fifth day in a row Trixie is wearing that cape, with no plans to take it off. Thanks to Captain Marvel and her movie. </p>
<p>"I'm on a secret mission, but I can't tell you more," Trixie whispers very, very low.</p>
<p>"Then continue with your important mission," Dan adds smiling, while the girl continues to whisper words to her invisible enemies.</p>
<p>"I don't want to ask what's going on here, because I'm imagining it," the petite woman says when she enters the room and sees the amount of paper, spread all over the floor.</p>
<p>"Data collection," Lucifer says Trixieer-of-factly. "To find the new killer."</p>
<p>Ella's eyes open with terror. "And that's my signal to leave. Come on, Trixie girl"</p>
<p>The girl frowns, leaving her hiding place. "But I don't want to."</p>
<p>"We'll buy cookies on the way. We have to let Dan and Lucifer work." Ella says that because it’ll be sure to distract the child.</p>
<p>But that doesn't happen. Trixie pouts and crosses her arms. "I want to stay! I can help Luci with his case.</p>
<p>She glares at Lucifer as her lips form a stern grimace. She has made it clear, on several occasions, that she doesn't want her precious and innocent child being exposed to murderers cases.</p>
<p>Lucifer approaches the child, and with a tenderness that he only keeps for her, and caresses her brown hair.</p>
<p>"I'll tell you everything about the case tomorrow. We can solve it together."</p>
<p>Trixie nods. "Do you want me to lend you my cape?" She asks. "If you have it on, it's impossible for you to be afraid. You’ll beat the bad guys faster", the girl explains, waving her pink cape with a big T embroidered in gold, in the wind.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles, placing a kiss on her forehead. "It's your cape, you're the superhero."</p>
<p>And that does the trick, thinks Ella when, with a lively smile, Trixie says goodbye.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It's three-thirty in the morning when the doors of the elevator opens. Dan takes a step inside.</p>
<p>His footsteps resonate on the floor, as Lucifer runs his hands through his rebellious curls. "Douche."</p>
<p>"Dan." Dan corrects him, who awoke before all the commotion.</p>
<p>Lucifer gives him a puzzled look.  Dan just rolls his eyes.</p>
<p>Dan looks at him with concern.</p>
<p>Lucifer sets his sights on the Detective. Dan's hair is a mess in all directions, very different from his perfectly done hairstyle. His face looks dejected, tired. But the most important thing is his hands. They are occupied by a transparent bag, which contains a pink cape, stained with what appears to be blood.</p>
<p>A pink cape with a large T embroidered in gold.</p>
<p>Dan opens his mouth, but doesn't make any sound.</p>
<p>And in that instant, Lucifer's heart breaks.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>NOTE: I wanted Chloe to be able to draw because it is a really cool talent. And he is already a consolidated artist with his music.<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>Any suggestions?<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The witch and the candy house.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. OMG! I don´t even know what to say. I´m very happy with the comments of this story. Thank you all for being so kind.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other stories: I invite you to read my other stories: Friday I'm In Love  and Unforgettable<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Trixie nods."Do you want me to lend you my cape?" she asks. "If you have it on, it's impossible for you to be afraid. You’ll beat the bad guys faster", she explains, waving his pink cape with a big T embroidered in gold, in the wind.</em>
</p>
<p>A bright smile illuminates her face and Lucifer's heart breaks at the memory.</p>
<p>"Lucifer."  Dan says calmly. "They found a body."</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He hasn't been able to say a word, only run down Lux to the morgue.</p>
<p>His hands tremble as he takes the transparent bag. The possible scenarios run through his mind. And suddenly he feels as if he can’t breathe.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Help me, help me Luci!" Trixie´s little hands bang on the door. "Help me!"she screams. "Get me out, please, please!"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A piercing cry escapes from her body. "Please, please stop it!” shouts the small girl, sobbing.  “Stop it!” She is screaming, kicking the door, snot dripping out of her nose. She closes her eyes tightly.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her voice seems broken, as if she has lost something very dear to her. Lucifer’s heart must have shrunk at Trixie’s much smaller voice, full of pain.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"No, no, no!" the small girl shouts, immersed in darkness. "Please, don´t let him hurt me, please Luci!"</em>
</p>
<p>Lucifer’s hands close on the bag. His heart beats loudly, and a scream escapes his mouth.</p>
<p>Dan is by his side in an instant. Lucifer doesn't know how they arrived, nor how long they took, but the dark letters mark the entrance of the LAPD compound.</p>
<p>Lucifer wrings his hands, then quickly opens the lock.</p>
<p>"We found a coincidence." Jeremias greets him.</p>
<p>"What did you say?" Lucifer whips his head around, his cold, emotionless gaze setting on the pale young man, dressed in a white lab coat and plastic glasses.</p>
<p>"We found" he starts, but Lucifer cuts him off with a curt gesture of his hand.</p>
<p>"I’m losing my patience, boy! Talk!, Now!" He barks the order outs with a menacing look, resisting the urge to take him by the shoulders and shake him violently.</p>
<p>"Lucifer, leave the kid alone!" Dan intercepts, calming the situation.</p>
<p>The young man turns pale before Lucifer's the threatening face.</p>
<p>Lucifer rolls his eyes and grunts.</p>
<p>It's now Dan who speaks to the young man. "Did you say ’coincidence’?"</p>
<p>The young man, Jeremias, nods. His steps are quick and somewhat imprecise when he pulls the tray out of the fridge, bringing the body with him. It takes him two full minutes to display it before the eyes of those present. "The blood tests results arrived."</p>
<p>Dan's voice is uncertain. "Um... The blood that was on the cape?" He feels the environment changes. He feels how Lucifer’s cold face next to him falls for a few seconds until he's able to recompose himself and return to his cold facade. However, Dan can see through the farce, the intensity of his eyes screams of worry and terror.</p>
<p>Dan wants to say something, anything, but he doesn't know what.</p>
<p>He's only able to watch Jeremias nod, and open his mouth to speak.</p>
<p>"It's positive for the sample taken from this body and from the scene in the apartment."</p>
<p>Lucifer lets out a shocked noise, his heart beating loudly in his ears.</p>
<p>Dan and Jeremias speak, quoting facts, but he can’t hear them. Not anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Dan grimaces in disgust, and runs his hands over his nose, trying to evaporate the smell of rotting meat filling the room. His gaze rests on the wall at the back of the morgue, trying to avoid looking at the body lying under the sheet.</p>
<p>"Burned to death to avoid identification." Lucifer whispers under his breath.</p>
<p>"I don't think that's true, they found her in her apartment," Dan argues with a grimace. "The neighbors called the firemen, when the smoke kept coming out of their apartment. When they arrived; there wasn’t much they could do."</p>
<p>"It sounds like revenge," Dan continues, sliding the photo of her coat so that it falls on the table before everyone's eyes.</p>
<p>A word stands out in the image, WITCH.</p>
<p>Blood spreads across the white wall like an abstract painting, the masterpiece of a mad man, a religious or a new fan.</p>
<p>Dan's eyes fall to meet a circle made with different types of candy. A circle surrounding a woman. She kneels on her back, completely naked. Her hands and feet are firmly tied by white rope. Her greasy, black hair sticks to her face, and her lips are covered by gray tape. Her chest is a deformed grimace with seven dark bruises, edema and fractured bones, complemented by two equally fractured legs. The fire burns behind her.</p>
<p>"Sofia Marquez, 35. Widow, former cosmetics sales woman, a car accident left her blind two years ago. With her background, we find a list of entrances and exits from the jail, all paid through bonds. Armed robbery in 2010, and 2012. She was allegedly involved in the murder of Marcos Moreno, drug dealer, in 2014; the Police could never prove her guilt. Seven complaints of domestic violence against her son, all in the same year." Dan recites out loud, as his eyes become lost in the police report.</p>
<p>The small pathologist clears his throat, making the group of people notice him.</p>
<p>"There are missing parts in her teeth, and abrasions on her lower back indicating that she was dragged before being burned. There are old injuries, multiple fractures to the bones of the left hand, right tarsus and anterior ribs." The young man takes a breath inspired by his analysis. "There are also mutilated areas of her skull, but that's not the highlight." Jeremiah shakes his head emphatically. "I found numerous wraps in both the digestive tract and her stomach. You know the same candies that form a circle around her in the photo? "He indicates with emphasis at the photo, and exhales again." I sent the compound to be analyzed, but I'm sure those candies are filled with a poisonous toxin. "</p>
<p>"Evidently." The word bursts out hard from Lucifer<em>'s</em> lips.</p>
<p>Dan doesn't say anything about his outburst. He just shakes his head, not knowing how to act.</p>
<p>However, it’s not the discreet gestures that makes Dan’s heart shrink.</p>
<p>On the other side of the morgue, Jeremias looks nervous, constantly biting his lip.</p>
<p>"Speaks." Lucifer growls.</p>
<p>Jeremia’s mouth opens and closes. His eyes are big and innocent, and by the look that Lucifer gives him, he knows that his next words will destroy his already battered heart.</p>
<p>"The firemen found another body. " Jeremias says.</p>
<p>Lucifer's hands begin to tremble. His mouth feels dry and his heart is a rock that occupies his chest. "A girl. Between five and six years of age."</p>
<p>Dan turns to him, shock filling his face.</p>
<p>"Lucifer…"</p>
<p>But Lucifer can’t handle it. Not Dan’s sympathetic face, not Jeremia’s intelligent analysis. No, Lucifer doesn’t want anything. There are too many emotions running through his veins.  He doesn’t want to deal with anything else.</p>
<p>"Bring the body. I want to see her". He says roughly.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The pathologist opens the bag containing the body slowly, almost gently.</p>
<p>He runs a hand through his hair, trying to regain some control over the situation.</p>
<p>Lucifer’s steps are slow, trembling when he approaches the child's body. He sighs, preparing for the worst.</p>
<p><em>"Here's your daddy, Trixie." he remembers saying. </em><br/><br/>His mind has conjured a sea of memories that flood his soul, while the dull weight of the pain settles in his chest and refuses to leave.</p>
<p>
  <em>"You came!". Trixie exclaims excited when the first tears are on her cheeks and a cry of surprise escapes from the mouths of many of her peers. Her brown eyes sparkle with kindness that Lucifer can feel in the bottom of his stomach. "Thank you". Trixie whispers.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I just believed in my new favorite superhero that's all." Lucifer says.</em>
</p>
<p>The emotion within him builds. He writhes, wants to get it out of his chest, but another moment appears.</p>
<p><em>"You know, no bad person can touch you anymore." Lucifer says with a soft tone in his voice. He rest a firm hand on Trixie</em>’s<em> shoulder "I am with you. You and your mother are safe."</em></p>
<p>
  <em>"Thank you, Lucifer," she says, hugging him gently.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"No, Trixie. Thank you for being here. You're the real superhero." Lucifer strokes her hair tenderly.</em>
</p>
<p>Ironically, Lucifer cries for what he never had. What he never even wanted to have, but found in a five-year-old child.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Lucifer!" Trixie calls him, seriosness loading her voice.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yes, urchin."</em>
</p>
<p><em>"If you don</em>’t <em>get your Megan today," Trixie hesitates a moment... "I'm your friend".</em></p>
<p>
  <em>"And you're the best friend in the world that I could have."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I want you to feel safe." Lucifer says sincerely. "Even when I'm not there with you."</em>
</p>
<p>Liar, says his mind with a macabre laugh.</p>
<p>Liar! screams his body, clenching its fists.</p>
<p>Liar! shouts the atmosphere that surrounds him, the penumbrance of death marking everything in its path.</p>
<p><em>"</em>Lucifer!<em>"</em> Dan calls, and it<em>'</em>s at that moment that he realizes that his eyes are completely closed.</p>
<p>Traitorous tears escape from his beautiful dark eyes.</p>
<p>Dan's voice falters when he speaks. <em>"</em>Open your eyes, Lucifer.<em>"</em></p>
<p>Lucifer takes a deep breath. Opens his eyes slowly. His heart is hammering in his ears, his pulse is accelerated but his legs begin to fail.</p>
<p>And then he sees her.</p>
<p>The sleeping angel on the table, the five-year-old angel.</p>
<p><em>"</em>Trixie,<em>"</em> his voice is a muffled murmur.</p>
<p>His legs give way and he falls to a kneel in front of the examination table.</p>
<p>Tears run down his face as he lets out a sob.</p>
<p>The man without a heart.</p>
<p>The fallen angel.</p>
<p>The devil.</p>
<p>The demon.</p>
<p>That same man cries in the morgue… cries for a lost angel.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>Please, don't hate me. <br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>Any suggestions?<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Who is Trixie's father! Theories?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The clown and the innocent child.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. OMG! I don´t even know what to say. I´m very happy with the comments of this story. Thank you all for being so kind.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other stories: I invite you to read my other stories: Friday I'm In Love  and Unforgettable<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Beatrice.<em>"</em> His voice is a muffled murmur.</p>
<p>His legs give way and he falls to a kneel in front of the examination table.</p>
<p>Jeremias looks at him, frowning. Quickly he corrects him. "Michelle Marquez. Five years and six months."</p>
<p>Lucifer raises his head and glares at the girl on the table, his body still shaking.</p>
<p>"Man"  Dan says try to calm him.</p>
<p>Jeremias remains at his post without even batting an eye.</p>
<p>There’s  a collective relief because the child on the table isn’t Trixie, but there’s a sense of heaviness in the depths of their hearts. It's not Trixie, but it's another innocent child. An innocent who died at the hands of a madman.</p>
<p>Lucifer gets up quickly. He breathes deeply, while his hands erase the tears that stain his face. He fixes his suit and leaving, slamming the doors of the morgue behind him.</p>
<p>Dan sighs. This just indicates that the storm is coming.</p>
<p>"It seems she was asleep." Dan says looking at the little angel that lies in the tray, immobile.</p>
<p>"There are no contusions, no blows, and no fractures. At least not those that can be considered new. The tests reveal that there is a very high percentage of insulin injected into her body between eight o'clock at night."</p>
<p>"She was diabetic." Dan whispers. It's not a question, just an affirmation.</p>
<p>Jeremias nods.  "Her body could not support the amount of insulin provided, her organs failed quickly."</p>
<p>Silence falls into the environment. Dan's lips contract with fury as he lets his gaze fall on the girl again.</p>
<p>A monster. That is the kind of people who are capable of killing a child.</p>
<p>However, they will find it. He will pay dearly for everything he has done.</p>
<p>If something is, Dan is sure of it. Lucifer will not let this abomination continue to commit atrocities in the city, especially if another innocent child is in his sights.</p>
<p>"Thanks for your help, doctor. Please inform us when having the results of the toxicological analysis."</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"The child didn't suffer. She died peacefully while she slept. I think we can thank our killer for that." His cold words sneak into his body like a bullet, breaking everything in its path.</p>
<p>Lucifer looks up to meet his stoic expression. His wings and his hard eyes.</p>
<p>"It is a warning, dear brother."</p>
<p>However, Lucifer doesn't respond.</p>
<p>"You're letting your emotions get the better of you," Uriel grunts.</p>
<p>Lucifer grits his teeth as he answers. "¿What are you doing here? Silver city has no better things to do with their time than play to chase vengeful killers?"</p>
<p>Uriel laughs ironically.  "Father is deeply concerned that his main piece for the resolution of problems of Hell can break like glass when he thinks that his little golden fish is lost."</p>
<p>Lucifer clenches his fists tightly. His brother has always had the ability to infuriate him quickly.</p>
<p>"Sentiment is a defect."</p>
<p>His lips join in a thin line."We'll agree to disagree on that one."</p>
<p>Uriel shakes his head disdainfully. There is a kind of disappointment that shows in his eyes, but Lucifer doesn't dare to mention it. "I knew, from the first moment I saw the child from home. I knew it. You believe that the innocence that she irradiates can save your battered soul, she reminds you of a part of you that is no longer there."Uriel gives him a sad smile. "But the truth is dear brother, you are dragging her into darkness."</p>
<p>"Look at you, crying like a child who lost his pet and doesn't know how to recover it. You can't even join the pieces in your mind and see what you've done wrong." His next words are poison. "All the feeling has clouded you. Pity."</p>
<p>His fingers tightened on his hands, jaw clenching. "No," he says simply.</p>
<p>Uriel grimaces. "No?" He repeats with disbelief.</p>
<p>"She taught me kindness, innocence, friendship, love," His voice is deep, hard. "Beatrice made me strong. Stronger than it had ever been in my life. And that dear brother, it isn't weakness. It's strength. But that's something you don't know anything about. Pity. "</p>
<p>The face of the angel falls. He hides his wings in fury, Lucifer is is about to speak when…</p>
<p>"Can I know why Maze takes me out of my house at five in the morning with a sleeping child?" Ella's voice echoes in the corridors of the morgue.</p>
<p>A puzzled look on Lucifer's face, he gives his brother a questioning look.</p>
<p>"You let the feeling incapacitate you and these are the things that happen," Uriel crosses his shoulders. "The police team couldn't contact the nanny, knowing their inability to deduce something more and betting on your emotional response to imagine a tragic scenario that will involve the child, I decided to take things by my own means. I told your demon. She went in search of Miss López."</p>
<p>There is nothing more he can do or say about it. He can only swallow the cocktail of emotions he feels at this moment.</p>
<p>Five seconds the idiot of his brother is gone.</p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Luci." Trixie raises her hand high waving it.</p>
<p>Lucifer's mouth opens. The beat of his heart thunders in his ears.</p>
<p>"Hi, Lucifer."</p>
<p>Lucifer’s arms are already open, when he crouches to the ground to embrace the little girl. Her smile grows as he greets the child. He takes the girl in his arms and plants a small kiss in her hair.</p>
<p>The fear that ran through his veins slows down, as Trixie clings to his chest, Lucifer smiles in secret, breathing the smell of chocolate, books, and baby shampoo from Trixie's soft pajamas. She smells of pure innocence.</p>
<p>He kisses again the top of her head.</p>
<p>Trixie looks at him confused, her lip has begun to tremble. "Luci... are you sad?"</p>
<p>"No." He hadn't realized he was crying until her little thumb caressed a tear.</p>
<p>Trixie's own clear little eyes are full of tears. "I'm sorry, I don't want you cry."</p>
<p>"I'm not crying urchin." Lucifer assures her wiping the tears that keep falling. "with you I would never be sad."</p>
<p>"For real?" she questions unsure.</p>
<p>"Yes, you make me happy, urchin."</p>
<p>Trixie hugs him by resting her head on his chest, her hands are warm and comforting and Lucifer really can't remember feeling sad being like that.</p>
<p>"Maze told me that you solved your case. And I can go to eat chocolate desserts with her, later."</p>
<p>Lucifer looks at Trixie sympathetically before adding. "However, it's too sooner or later for you to get out of bed. "</p>
<p>Trixie makes a pout. Ella remains without saying a single word. Lucifer is sure that he will hear an endless number of them later, if the look she is giving him is indicative.</p>
<p>"But I want to help you. " Trixie says with total decision although her eyes begin to close alone.</p>
<p>"She is our main help, today."  Maze points. "As always, I go ahead, to prove you wrong and save your ass"</p>
<p>Lucifer blinks confused.</p>
<p>"Ellen pointed out that the little human stayed at the bookshop. There is a camera in there. It's a first step. "</p>
<p>He looks back up at Trixie and shakes his head. "I’m not leaving her."</p>
<p>"I didn't think you would. We can all take a walk to LAPD and see the library recordings." comments.</p>
<p>"Let's see the recording. We need to know what happened yesterday. "</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Thirty minutes later.</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>The events occur an hour after Trixie leaves Lux with her nanny, Dan can calculate it when he sees the date and time projected by the security camera recording.</p>
<p>Earl is attending two young people, a tall, thin girl with a rocker look and a girl with a worn look and a baseball cap. Both release questions about the new literature of vampires and zombies.</p>
<p>The older man runs his hands through his hair and smiles knowingly.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Trixie spins amusingly waving her cape from side to side as she moves inside the bookstore.</p>
<p>Earl watches her from the cash register, smiling. He waves his hand pointing to some books and the little girl takes them in her hands.</p>
<p>Her face has a look of deep concentration, her tongue protrudes a little from her lips as her small hands place each book on the corresponding shelf.</p>
<p>Until a noise wins her attention.</p>
<p>A white little baby rabbit is jumping.</p>
<p>Her mouth opens, she smiles, finishes placing the last book and moves slowly.</p>
<p>The rabbit deviates quickly, Trixie continues laughing until the opposite end of the library.</p>
<p>"Don't be afraid, I will not hurt you! I promise!" She says sweetly.</p>
<p>The rabbit stops right in front of her, Trixie holds her breath and takes it between her hands.</p>
<p>It's spongy and soft. Very soft like cotton Trixie lets out a laugh. The rabbit fits comfortably in her hands.</p>
<p>"Hello little one!" she's greeted by a voice behind her back. Trixie turns to find a tall, bald, stout man dressed perfectly in a black suit.</p>
<p>The child instinctively steps back, letting go of the rabbit and crashing into the nearby bookshelf.</p>
<p>The man gives what Dan thinks is a sinister smile.</p>
<p>Trixie's lips tremble as she sees the man approaching.</p>
<p>His hand almost lands on her right shoulder, when he stops. His face forms a rough grimace and out of his mouth comes a sound like a grunt.</p>
<p>The man takes three steps back.</p>
<p>Trixie standing without moving. Her hands clinging to the edges of her cloak.</p>
<p>"Don't be scared, sweety."</p>
<p>Dan lets out a sigh. His heart contracts hard when he hears that velvety voice.</p>
<p>Charlotte Richards.</p>
<p>The lawyer involved in the defense of all those important criminals.</p>
<p>The black widow, they call her.</p>
<p>People in the compound said that she sold her soul to the devil for money. Lucifer just rolled his eyes at that comment and scoffed for a bit.</p>
<p>She is danger.</p>
<p>She has been his enemy number one in several cases, enough for Lucifer to create a kind of game between them. One where the winner tends to take everything.</p>
<p>It is a game of egos, of power. Dan knows.</p>
<p>A game of psychological torture, where your weaknesses come to light.</p>
<p>Dan has never asked Lucifer why there is hatred between him and the woman.</p>
<p>But he imagines that the situation is horrible enough for Lucifer to avoid his gaze and stay quiet by his side.</p>
<p>"I hope our friend did not give you problems?" Charlotte says holding the little rabbit in her hands.</p>
<p>Trixie watches her closely, her red dress, her hair perfectly arranged in a bun. Then look at the fluffy rabbit and he shakes her head.</p>
<p>Charlotte Richards laughs. And Dan feels his stomach fall.</p>
<p>Charlotte moves with the agility of a snake, choosing the perfect moment to attack her prey, her beautiful eyes never leave the little girl.</p>
<p>Trixie swallows visibly as she clings more emphatically to her cloak, as if seeking protection. She is nervous.</p>
<p>The robust man makes another unintelligible sound, and Charlotte laughs amused.</p>
<p>"Come, honey." Charlotte says. "I know you want to continue playing with our friend. Take it, " she says holding the little rabbit towards her.</p>
<p>Trixie bites her lips, gathering courage, taking an uncertain step toward her.</p>
<p>"Come closer." She asks in her velvety voice.</p>
<p>Trixie takes another step.</p>
<p>Her voice is that of a charming one. "I know you want to do it, come on. Take it."</p>
<p>Trixie watches the woman closely then, her gaze lingers on the fluffy rabbit, and she takes two steps toward the woman.</p>
<p>The robust man makes a sound of appreciation.</p>
<p>Charlotte smiles, extends her hands and Trixie now holds the rabbit between her little hands.</p>
<p>Her eyes shine with joy as she caresses the white rabbit.</p>
<p>Charlotte takes a step towards the nearby bookshelf, sighs dramatically. "If only someone could help me choose the best children's story to sleep in. My day would be perfect, don't you think?" she asks the man, who nods quickly.</p>
<p>Dan simply snorts at the obvious answer that comes from the little girl.</p>
<p>"I can help. "</p>
<p>The woman's lips form a smile. Charlotte nods amused "In that case, I would appreciate your advice."</p>
<p>Trixie smiles. She moves towards the shelves next right still with the rabbit in her hands.</p>
<p>Charlotte follows silently. The robust man observes in detail the place and the people present. Three more young people have entered the store, all three are in the sports section, while two middle-aged women talk about the economics and politics section. Earl is still lost in a conversation with the couple of teenagers at the cash register.</p>
<p>Trixie speaks with emotion of each book, she explains attentively to the woman next to her, the best stories to read before going to sleep.</p>
<p>Her gaze quickly stops at a series of tales of adventures, pirates and princess.</p>
<p>Charlotte takes the opportunity.</p>
<p>"Do you like princess?"</p>
<p>Her cold eyes rest on the girl. A smile stretches on her fleshy red lips.</p>
<p>Trixie nods smiling. With that innocent smile that she gives with ease. Dan's heart contracts. Dan has not been able to take a look at Lucifer who writhes agitatedly in his chair.</p>
<p>The woman's voice takes him look back to the video.</p>
<p>"He was a pirate a long time ago." She beckons towards the robust man. She lowers her voice, as she is telling a personal secret. "He could make everyone on the ship scream." She says smiling.</p>
<p>The implications of his words make Dan's stomach twist.</p>
<p>Trixie innocently laughs. Charlotte joins her seconds later.</p>
<p>"But I assume you also like superheroes or wizards." She tells Trixie by moving her hands to the  cape.</p>
<p>"Yes"</p>
<p>"There is a very special Little girl that I know who also likes magicians very much."</p>
<p>"Your daughter?"</p>
<p>Charlotte laughs completely amused at the absurd idea of having a child. "She's my friend's daughter, he has not seen her in years."</p>
<p>Trixie grimaces sadly. "Why not?"</p>
<p>"Her mother took her far away, so my friend would never find her." Charlotte drops her gaze to the ground. "He is very sad about that."</p>
<p>Trixie bites her lip. Extend the rabbit towards the robust man, who gives her a scrutiny look and takes it.</p>
<p>Trixie extends her small hands over Charlotte´s waist and embraces her gently. "I hope your friend sees his daughter, so that he is no longer sad. "</p>
<p>Something foreign is reflected in the flicker of Charlotte's  eyes, but it happens so fast that Dan wonders if I imagine it.</p>
<p>She gives Trixie a smile between her teeth. Her right hand gently strokes the child's cheek. "You are so beautiful, so intelligent, so innocent."</p>
<p>Trixie's smile grows even more.</p>
<p>Charlotte's thumb stops in a slow motion, gaining the child's full attention.</p>
<p>"I'll tell you a little secret."</p>
<p>Trixie watches her closely.</p>
<p>"I know the best magician in the world, he can make anyone disappear."</p>
<p>Trixie´s eyes shine with wonder at Charlotte´s words.</p>
<p>"I can introduce it to you if you come with me, it will be very fun."</p>
<p>Trixie smiles.</p>
<p>"You can also have the rabbit if you want, you just have to go with me."</p>
<p>Trixie emphasizes her words with a nod. "But I can't go out with strangers."</p>
<p>"I'm not a stranger, we've talked, you know me."</p>
<p>Dan can see the pieces spinning in the child's mind and he curses very low.</p>
<p>Trixie is going to give in, her gaze says on the white rabbit. And in the magician's promise.</p>
<p>Dan's hands cling to his chair hard.</p>
<p>"I can't, I'm sorry." She says. And Dan sighs.</p>
<p>Charlotte looks at her with astonishment on her face, clearly not expecting that answer.</p>
<p>"We will play another time, see you, sweetheart."  And with that she's gone.</p>
<p>"That terrified my soul," Dan declares when the recording ends. "I still don't understand. She could have taken Trix in. She managed to get Trixie to trust her."</p>
<p>"She would know we would see her. She knew the camera was there and never hid from it. '' It's Lucifer who answers.</p>
<p>Dan's eyes light up with understanding. "It's not about Trixie, it's about you," he sighs. His mouth is too dry, so he swallows before Maze speaks. "It's a quick statement of the power she has, how easily she could get close to someone for whom Lucifer cares."</p>
<p>"It's a game, a power game, strategy." Lucifer assures her. "She made the first move. "</p>
<p>"Lucifer." Dan calls him.</p>
<p>"The game is on. "</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Dan takes the black marker between his fingers, has a look of concentration on his face as he writes on the blackboard in front of him.</p>
<p>"We have a mother tortured, burned, and her little girl was poisoned while she was sleeping, and that girl was wearing a cape, coming from Trixie."</p>
<p>Maze, (the demon who helps in this case, Dan shouldn't be surprised by it. She seems to like Trixie.) at her side nods. "The point is, how did the cape get into the hands of the new child?"</p>
<p>She continues. "If Trixie had it in the bookstore, what happened next?"</p>
<p>The question evaporates in the air. Dan moves in his seat a couple of times. He takes another sip of his black coffee. While Lucifer remains immobile leaning on the nearby wall.</p>
<p>The asshole hasn't said much since they found the girl and her nanny hours ago. His look seems lost. Maze realizes.</p>
<p>She denies with her head, if he doesn't want to participate in this, being emotionally compromised is his problem.</p>
<p>Laughter echoes in her head. Emotionally committed. Maze gives him another look. Yeah right.</p>
<p>If Lucifer bloody Morningstar, doesn't want to say a word, she does.</p>
<p>"Bring Ellen."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Ella sits with the sleeping girl in her arms. She can feel Lucifer's eyes on them, but she doesn't say anything. She limits herself to answering the man's question in front of her.</p>
<p>"She was upset, she wanted to stay helping Lucifer, so I left her at the bookstore with Earl, while I was buying the cookies, and I met them in the park."</p>
<p>"In the park?"</p>
<p>"There was a great show with clowns, we saw the ads a few minutes before I left her at the bookstore, Trixie wanted to go."</p>
<p>Dan continues the interrogation. "Was she wearing her cape when you met her?"</p>
<p>Ella frowns. "No, she did not have it anymore."</p>
<p>"And it did not occur to you to think what happened to the cloak?"</p>
<p>"No." She answers honestly. "I was so happy, with the idea that she would take it away, she had spent three whole days with that thing stuck to her back." Then she adds. "She's a child, she always leaves things irrigated, she gets excited about something and then she leaves it in. You don't have to make a lot of fuss about that."</p>
<p>"Much fuss, Ellen! Hell, that cloak is tied to murder." Dan shouts, moving his head from side to side.</p>
<p>Ella's mouth opens, she is about to reply when she feels the movement in her arms. Her gaze descends to meet a pair of sleepy brown eyes, looking at her tenderly.</p>
<p>"We can go home."</p>
<p>"Soon, Trixie babe." She responds by placing a kiss on her hair.</p>
<p>Trixie nods. She runs her hands over her eyes. She yawns three times before her eyes open fully and she can comfortably sit on her nanny's lap.</p>
<p>"Hello, Trix." It's Dan who greets her.</p>
<p>"Hello…</p>
<p>"Can you tell us what you did with Earl in the park yesterday? Do you remember?"</p>
<p>"We played with the clowns, they were making animals with balloons." Trixie gets excited and continues her story, telling what animals clowns could do, what funny tricks they did. "Earl got a dog and I got a kitten"</p>
<p>"That's really good, Trix, " Dan congratulates her. "But I want you to think very well, to whom you gave the pink cloak, the superhero cloak."</p>
<p>Trixie shrugs easily. "To the clown."</p>
<p>"What clown?" Dan asks quickly.</p>
<p>Trixie laughs. "The one with the red nose, and the funny wig."</p>
<p>"I need you to be a little more precise, ok, honey." Dan asks her with a friendly smile. "Was he tall? Fat? Slim?"</p>
<p>Ella sees Trixie opening her eyes, trying to find the details that the Detective wants.</p>
<p>She sighs. "I don't think Trixie is very helpful. We're talking about thirty people dressed the same. "</p>
<p>"We just need to know who the clown is, and why she gave him the cape, Ella."</p>
<p>She comes to her defense with the claw of a mother protecting her son. "She's five years old, she's confused and she's sleepy, she's not the best scenario to question her."</p>
<p>Dan lets out a sigh, running his hands through his hair. "I know, I'm sorry, really...</p>
<p>"The clown needed it." Trixie's voice interrupts him.</p>
<p>All eyes are focused on the child. It's Maze who asks this time. "Why did he need it?"</p>
<p>Her answer is innocent and simple. "To win the game."</p>
<p>Dan's eyebrows are knitted together. "Which game?"</p>
<p>"The game he and Lucifer have played for years, he said eons."</p>
<p>Given this, Lucifer's position changes. He moves from his position to approach Trixie.</p>
<p>Dan blinks."Which game?" he asks again.</p>
<p>"He said Lucifer would know which."</p>
<p>Dan's mouth opens, Maze's blood beats loudly in her ears as the Lucifer's heart skips a beat when the little one utters her next words.</p>
<p>"He said he's back and this time he would win." Trixie recites. "Because Lucifer has a lot to lose."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>I know that in my last two chapters I made several people cry, so the next chapter I am publishing on Monday. It's my way of saying sorry.<br/>So who do you think is playing with Luci?<br/>He is getting closer and closer to discovering the truth about Trixie's mom.<br/>Who is Trixie's father! Theories?<br/>Any suggestions?<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Boulevard of Broken Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. OMG! I don´t even know what to say. I´m very happy with the comments of this story. Thank you all for being so kind.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other story: Friday I'm In Love  <br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her absence was notable during those long three days. Somehow he wanted her soft smile, her pleasant gaze as he tried to solve Trixie's case.</p>
<p>He believes that she would understand his feelings for the girl, his despair, his desire to infuse punishment, after all Chloe has a daughter in her care.</p>
<p>A version of her to protect at home.</p>
<p>He thinks about what the girl must look like.</p>
<p>Will she have warm eyes and kind smiles? Like Chloe?</p>
<p>Somehow he finds himself wanting to meet her. Perhaps the girl could get along with Lucifer's little spawn.</p>
<p>That image makes something warm sit on his chest, he would hate the feeling if it didn't bring him so much peace.</p>
<p>The same peace that Chloe's presence brings into his life.</p>
<p>His eyes widen when the floral scent of her perfume invades his senses. A cup of coffee sits in front of him as she smiles casually at him.</p>
<p>That same smile that unbalances his world in a completely unintelligible way.</p>
<p>The possibility that she is an angel sent by his father has been on his mind so many times that he has wanted to seek proof of her divinity every minute that she is present.</p>
<p>He hasn't got any. And that is really disturbing, because the meaning is much deeper.</p>
<p>This simple mortal causes him to experience things that in eons he had not been able to evoke. Feelings.</p>
<p>"Detective" he greets her, and she blurts out his name like a sunday church song.</p>
<p>His heart trembles at it.</p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thirty minutes later, they both sit on stools, side by side, when she says what’s running through her mind from the moment she saw him.</p>
<p>"Jeremias told me that the Police found the body of a child and it disturbed you a lot."</p>
<p>Lucifer stops the movement of his hand. His mouth forms a thin line. He doesn't want her to see him vulnerable, broken.</p>
<p>His heart jumps, and not in an emotional way.</p>
<p>Did that young man tell her how he broke he was?</p>
<p>How the agony of his voice echoed in the morgue?</p>
<p>How he cried?</p>
<p>"I can't say anything that could change what happened, Lucifer. That was horrible, " she says with sincerity. There is a note of sadness in her voice that he can't identify. There is a story not told there. "But I'm sure that with your help, the police will catch the killer, because that's what you do. You help people. "</p>
<p>"I don't help people, Chloe," He shakes his head at her ridiculous theory. "I'm not a hero."</p>
<p>She contradicts him quickly, and in a bold move, she places her small hand on his right arm. "You are."</p>
<p>She's giving him that look that can penetrate his soul and break him to pieces. "You use this wonderful gift you have to catch bad men"</p>
<p>He laughs, but without emotion. "I use my gift to stop my mind from being consumed by boredom. I'm a selfish man. I could never be a hero," he says, lowering his head.</p>
<p>"We are all selfish in some way. That's not why we're bad."</p>
<p>He feels the warmth of her hand travel through his skin in a way that burns him, little by little. "You constantly save people's lives. If that doesn't make you a hero, I really don't know was does."</p>
<p>His voice is a soft whisper. "Chloe."</p>
<p>Her blue eyes are fixed on him, and it's too much. Lucifer is drowning. There is too much emotion written there, too much tenderness. He doesn't deserve it. He doesn't deserve anything from this beautiful woman.</p>
<p>He jumps up from the stool. "I...” His voice trembles. "I have to go." His heart feels heavy in the absence of her touch.</p>
<p>She nods, and smiles sadly. "Maybe you're the hero in someone's life and you don't know it yet. "</p>
<p>Maybe, but not probable, Lucifer thinks. And with that, he's gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>His firm steps take him to the library. His body sinks to the wooden bench, while his brother's words resound in his head. <em>"You put a bull's-eye on the girl's chest, Lucifer!"</em></p>
<p>From afar, Lucifer watches Trixie read Gulliver's Travels. There is a smile on her face as she reads every word. An emotion appears in her eyes with each character’s actions.</p>
<p>With Earl at her side, smiling kindly, stroking the girl's back with affection.</p>
<p>The bench moves slightly; however, he doesn't move.</p>
<p>"The sweet wrappers they found on the women belong to an old factory at the north of the city, which closed to the public two and a half years ago, but they kept supplying a candy company until a week ago. I tracked it down, found the workers, and linked the possible suspects to the mother. Bastian Shurle, thirty-five years old, German, former lover, committed suicide before the Police could handcuff him," Lucifer explains to her.</p>
<p>Silence invades, and he hates himself for it.</p>
<p>"You don't have to say anything." His words manifest the obvious. "I know you're upset, and I understand."</p>
<p>She gives him a sharp look. Her tone of voice is high. "Do you?"</p>
<p>He nods, still not seeing Trixie. She huffs in disgust.</p>
<p>"You don't understand the level of anguish I was in!"</p>
<p>Lucifer sees the slight tremor on the woman's lips. "Maze took me out of my house at three in the morning to make sure Trixie was okay, that she wasn't dead, injured or kidnapped!" Her brown eyes flicker with tears before they return to a serious state. "I was terrified, not knowing what to do, because my beautiful and innocent girl would be hurt in some way! Why?"</p>
<p>Lucifer swallows, and she continues. "I asked you the first time we talked about getting away if you were going to hurt her, Lucifer."</p>
<p>His heart contracts at her harsh words. "It was stupid to allow her to get involved."</p>
<p>She lets out a shocked breath. "Stupid does not even define the situation! Your association with her sent a maniac after her! What would you have done if she...”</p>
<p>Lucifer closes his eyes, shaking his head.</p>
<p>The image of the little girl lying on the autopsy table still shines in his dreams. That image will torment him for a long time, he is sure of it.</p>
<p>"I've never felt so desperate in my whole life!"</p>
<p>He hesitates, then looks up at her again.</p>
<p>"So lost, confused and hurt." Ella gives him a compressed expression as her eyes soften. "You must know that I would do everything in my power to end the life of anyone who wants to hurt the urchin."</p>
<p>Lucifer nods, but something moves through his expression. Something unsure. Something vulnerable. It occurs to Ella, rather suddenly, that whatever Lucifer's feelings or ability to articulate them, he's got it bad when it comes to Trixie.</p>
<p>Ella remembers how that feels.</p>
<p>"I'm not going to let something like that happen again. I swear, Miss López."</p>
<p>"I really hope so, otherwise I won’t be the only person who kicks your ass and hunts you down."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Lucifer asks as his eyebrows furrow.</p>
<p>"Trixie's mom" Ella pauses. "She's still in the dark. She doesn't know that the devil is playing at being the father of her girl, that Trixie loves you madly, or that half the Police know her." She shakes her head in disapproval. "Nor that a a bounty hunter has a predilection for her."</p>
<p>Lucifer looks at her innocently.</p>
<p>"Don't give me that look! When she finds out, there will be serious consequences. I really don't believe that this lie can go on forever, nor that any woman could be happy about this."</p>
<p>"Man" Ella begins. "I lied to one of my closest friends this week in a ruthless way just so she wouldn't worry about Trixie. They have been through so much... Ella is silent for a moment as if she remembers that he knows nothing about the past of the girl or her mother for that matter. "I've been lying her for a while. I don't want to keep doing it. "</p>
<p>He was a man of iron control. But with Trixie, he knew he was in constant danger of losing himself.</p>
<p>"Just give me a little more time, Miss López. I hate lies"</p>
<p>She complains. "Easy for you, bro. You haven't been lying."</p>
<p>He gives her another cute look and she lets out a snort.</p>
<p>"Come on, say hello to Trix. She’s been asking non-stop for you."</p>
<p>Lucifer looks up, brows arched in surprise.</p>
<p>"I know what I said. But I trust you. I'm giving you a golden opportunity with her. Don’t mess me around, Morningstar."</p>
<p>He lets himself smile. "I wouldn’t think about it, Miss López.”</p>
<p>The door opens, and when Lucifer's eyes meet those of the little girl, he can see the unadulterated affection there. A feeling that blossoms day by day.<br/><br/>"Lucifer!" Trixie shouts, throwing herself into his arms.<br/><br/>Lucifer hugs her against his chest. "Hi, urchin."<br/><br/>Trixie smiles softly, murmuring at the dark'-haired man’s neck. "I missed you!"<br/><br/>"I've missed you, too," Lucifer confesses sincerely. Four days have passed since the last time they spoke face to face.<br/><br/>"Did you know that Gulliver traveled to Lilliput, Lupata, Balnibarbi, and Japan?" Trixie begins, excited.<br/><br/>"Really?" Lucifer asks skeptically, taking a seat on the couch. "Tell me everything."<br/><br/>Trixie smiles at him as she sits and starts talking.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span class="u">In another part of the city</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He walks slowly to the kindergarten, waits until the mahogany door opens and lets him enter. He arranges his jacket and sits down. His face is serious and his hair is perfectly combed back.</p>
<p>"Good morning!" the middle-aged woman greets without looking up from the folder on her desk. "I'm glad you've finally come to see the place. I'm pleased to admit that it's one of the best in the country, and well-supported children become tomorrow's leaders."</p>
<p>A slight smile forms on the man's face.</p>
<p>"I don’t doubt it. As soon as I heard about this place, I wanted my child to come here," he pauses, licking his lips. "She's a very talented, intelligent and unique girl."</p>
<p> "Oh, I would love to meet your little one!" the woman responds.</p>
<p>"That will happen as soon as my wife comes back." He grimaces, and his eyes are dark. "They're on a little journey through the city. She and my daughter love games of hide and seek."</p>
<p>If things go as planned, Chloe Decker would be his.</p>
<p>His forever. Regardless.</p>
<p>The woman is silent for a moment, but gives him a grin that looked like a tired smile.</p>
<p>He nods and rises toward the exit. "See you soon, Miss Puffman."</p>
<p>"Goodbye, Mr. Pierce."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>In the next chapter. THE TRUTH. Lucifer finds out who Trixie's mother is.<br/>What do you think of Trixie's father?<br/>How do you think that will turn out?<br/>Any suggestions?<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. From truth to light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. OMG! I´m very happy with the comments of this story. Thank you all for being so kind.<br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite.<br/>That is incredible.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter.<br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me.<br/>I invite you to read my other story: Friday I'm In Love<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer.<br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once I was told that half of the truth is still a lie. It's a secret that always comes to light, and the truth will destroy everything. I guess it's what we teach children so they don't lie, but unfortunately some people never learn until it's too late and the truth has already burst forth.</p>
<p>"I think we should talk to your mom about Lucifer," Ella says, sitting next to the bed of the small girl, who looks somewhat alarmed. "I can't keep ignoring her questions about him, Trixie. She thinks he's a kindergarten buddy,".</p>
<p>"But he's my friend," she says defensively, folding her arms and giving Ella one of those knowing glances.</p>
<p>Ella sighs. "We both know that's not what everyone thinks." Ella takes time to form her next sentence. "Your friends believe that Lucifer's really your dad, Trixie".</p>
<p>The girl smiles playfully, emphasizing how much she likes the devil. That smile says it all, but Ella is concerned. She can't help that her best friend works with him, the infamous man who not only seems to be falling for the girl, but also for Chloe, if the conversations that Ella has had with her and him are a sign. It's a game where there’s no winner, Chloe will be furious to learn the truth, and Lucifer, – God, he’ll be truly unimpressed.</p>
<p>"I have no doubt that Lucifer cares about you," she gives a winks. "But your Mom doesn't know anything, and I think...” -</p>
<p>"Please, Ella!" the small girl interrupts, quickly embracing her. "Don't tell her anything yet. I promise I'll tell her this afternoon, okay?" Trixie says this with a tender grimace, her lower lip protruding and accompanying her best puppy eyes.</p>
<p>The woman lets out a sigh and agrees to Trixie's request. "Who can say no to those cute brown eyes?"</p>
<p>The child shouts ecstatically, jumping from side to side. "Thank you, you're the best!" She embraces her again. "I love you.".</p>
<p>"And I love you, baby girl," Ella responds, tickling Trixie. She bursts out laughing, along with Ella.</p><hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>How many moments of your life, can you pinpoint and say ‘this changes everything?’.</strong>
</p>
<p>Have you felt it? That feeling that runs through your body, telling you to get out of bed and hit the ground running. It will happen to you inevitably, and when it does, anxiety takes over because you don’t know what’s going on. It’s the calm before the storm; a laugh before a tear. It's the feeling that something will happen today - something incredibly good or incredibly bad.</p>
<p>And all you can do is wait.</p>
<p>And that's what Chloe does. She takes a shower, gets dressed, and prepares for the new day. She gives a smile, a hug and some kind words to her child before heading to work.</p>
<p>An hour later, she's in the depth of paper work, as she reviews her notes, deliberately ignoring him.</p>
<p>Lucifer’s attitude becomes tedious. He crosses his arms like a small child, staring dramatically at the ceiling. "I'm bored!" he declares when his case is over.</p>
<p>"Sorry to hear that. For the next case I’ll ask a trainer to come, then everything will be fine," she murmurs as she writes up her notes. A smile takes his lips.</p>
<p>"Well, maybe I could tell you a few things you could do to entertain me," Lucifer smiles wolfishly at her. His eyes sparkle with mischief at the implication of his words.</p>
<p>Her breathing catches. The way he looks at her makes her heart stop.</p>
<p>She can't explain why his banter makes her smile.</p>
<p>She needs to detox from an addiction she never knew she had.</p>
<p>She's never felt so ridiculously wonderful before.</p>
<p>"Has anyone told you that big egos kill brain cells?"</p>
<p>Lucifer laughs at her comment. "If that were really the case, Chloe, I would have become a vegetable a long time ago."</p>
<p>She’s about to reply when the shrill sound of both cell phones surprises them. Both give each other apologetic looks.</p>
<p>"Good afternoon, Miss Decker." Elizabeth Adams, the director of the school that her child attends, greets her formally from the other side of the line. "An incident has occurred...”</p>
<p> </p><hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>How many moments of your life, can you pinpoint and say ‘this changes everything?’</strong>
</p>
<p>Her steps hurry through the corridors of the school, and there’s a bell clanging in her heart that worries her.</p>
<p>She processes what is before her eyes. Her little girl is covered in scratches, and a bag of ice, almost covers her face. She is sitting across the room, saying nothing, and the whole situation makes Chloe feel incredibly tense.</p>
<p>"What happened?" Chloe asks gently, looking at the Director, who has politely asked her to sit down.</p>
<p>"One of the children said a few things to Beatrice and, well, Beatrcie hit her in the face. She started a fight."</p>
<p>A breath she didn't know she was holding escapes from her lips.</p>
<p>"Miss Decker, I have policies against violence in our school. I have to suspend Beatrice for two weeks. I can not indulge such behavior. She has to be punished," declares the woman seriously.</p>
<p>Chloe's eyes flit from Director Elizabeth to her daughter.  Trixie hit someone? Not her girl. No! She would never do something like that!</p>
<p>"No, she couldn't have!" Chloe states, shaking her head. She wouldn't! It's not like Trixie to intentionally hurt anyone. She wouldn’t hurt a fly! Why should she? She doesn’t even get to see violence on television. Where would she even copy it from?</p>
<p>Elizabeth's frown deepens and she sucks in a deep breath before exhaling. "I know it must be hard to believe, but-“</p>
<p>"What did this girl say to Trixie?"</p>
<p>Elizabeth opens her mouth, but Trixie quickly responds: "That I have no father and no one loves me!" she said with a brief sob.</p>
<p>"Oh, monkey!" Chloe is at her side in seconds. Her arms protect her girl from pain. "That's not true!, Many people love you. And I love you with my entire soul, baby; you're the best thing that’s ever happened to me."</p>
<p>The girl simply hugs her without saying anything more. But it is the Director who interrupts them, asking the girl to wait in the Nurses’ office, while she talks to her mother.</p>
<p>Chloe gives Trixie a smile and a kiss on the cheek before, then she leaves.</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>On the other hand...</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Ella’s glued to her phone like crazy. Her friend to be here, but she has no idea where Chloe is. She’s aware of the situation because the rumor made its way to her, so she just hopes that Trixie is out of the Nurses’ office, and all is well.</p>
<p>She hopes she'll look into her beautiful brown eyes soon. But there's another eye that watches her closely.</p>
<p>"Sorry man… I don't know who else to call; her Mom isn't answering the phone!" Ella explains, circling back and forth down the hall to the Nurse’s office. Confusion and panic floods Lucifer’s face.</p>
<p>"She's okay!" she says reassuringly, giving him a gentle pat on the arm.</p>
<p>His attention is drawn to the woman; she gives a grateful look while still pressing the keys on her phone again.</p>
<p>"I'll be in the car. I'd like to talk to Trix, Lucifer," Ella says, giving him a meaningful look. "She can’t be fight with her peers. Violence is not a viable solution, I mean probably that evil girl deserve it but…" she pronounces it as if he doesn’t understand the issue. "Don’t look me like that!" she scolds at his frown. "Trixie doesn’t like to talk about it. I only found out because the teacher told me everything.".</p>
<p>"I'll take care of it,” is all he says.</p>
<p>Ella leaves him alone.</p>
<p>As Lucifer walks down the hall, Trixie finishes collecting her things and leaves the Nursery. A dark bruise covers the top of her right eye, where her eyebrow is, and her lower lip isn’t much better.</p>
<p>She’s holding an ice pack against her face when Lucifer finds her. She stares at the child for a few seconds.</p>
<p>Then he comes over, and removes the ice pack to see how bad the wound is, even though the Nurse says it's not really serious and it will heal in a few days. He wants to be sure.</p>
<p>"At least she got what she deserved, right?" Lucifer asks, smiling slightly.</p>
<p>The girl lets out an amused laugh.</p>
<p>"She was hurt enough," she says triumphantly. Tears of laughter wet her cheeks.</p>
<p> "I just wanted you and Maze to be proud!" Trixie whispers softly. "I want to be as brave as you and her!"</p>
<p>"I've always been proud of you; you're a great girl, Beatrice,".</p>
<p>Lucifer nods and puts his arms around girl, a necessary hug, because it’s one of those times. "I glad you're alright; I was worried about you," he confesses, feeling utterly fragile about the whole situation.</p>
<p>The child speaks honestly. "I'm alright, because you're here, Daddy."</p>
<p>Every nerve in Lucifer’s body feels like it will explode upon hearing those words.</p>
<p> He clenches his jaw and feels his heart beat incredibly fast.</p>
<p>"And I'll always be here. That's what Dads are for!" he says, grinning.</p>
<p>"Just when I think you can’t do anything stupider, you prove me wrong," a voice whispers behind him, broadcasting a hidden pain.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Have you felt it? That feeling that runs through your body, telling you to get out of bed and hit the ground running. It will happen to you inevitably, and when it does, anxiety takes over because you don’t know what’s going on. It’s the calm before the storm; a laugh before a tear. It's the feeling that something will happen today - something incredibly good or incredibly bad.</p>
<p>Like the look of betrayal and pain consuming Chloe’s blue eyes, burning also with anger and fear.</p>
<p>A sigh escapes from Lucifer’s lips. They’re on the road that will burst the bubble of his happiness.</p>
<p>"Mommy, what happened?" Trixie asks, interrupting the moment, turning away from Lucifer abruptly.</p>
<p>An old sneaking numbness, a feeling of loss, and annoyance washes over him. Dear father! How could anyone as smart as he not see the signs before? The same eyes share that happy look, that smile dances on the lips of them both! The unique ability to make him happy?! He buries his face in his hands.</p>
<p>"Its okay, monkey!" reassures the woman who can’t meet her daughter’s eyes, through her tears, her voice at a lower level than normal.</p>
<p>Lucifer swallows hard and looks at her. Chloe looks at him like she’s stopping herself from saying anything more.</p>
<p>Her silence means everything. The words, memories, echo in his head:</p>
<p>
  <em>"I just want it clear, sir, she and her mother have lived in difficult circumstances., I hope you don’t take advantage of Trixie and hurt her," he says.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Trixie, where is your Dad?" he asks.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don’t know. My Mom doesn’t talk about him, but I don´t want him back... Mom cries when he's around, and the last time he came back, we had to go to the hospital for a while."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Trixie is a girl who has suffered much. His father left when she was a baby. He returned a few times only to make her mother suffer, and Trixie in the process. She doesn’t need any more pain, she doesn’t need someone to play Daddy. She needs a real father, “Ella says with sincerity.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"She’s five years old, will be six in a couple of months," Chloe says with a bright smile on her lips when talking about her daughter. "I guess [the father] is fine. He went to buy a lottery ticket and never returned. Maybe he won."</em>
</p>
<p>He hears his heart beat at an uneven pace, but ignores it. That's when he knows how much he hates himself, because this is the first time he can remember giving away an opportunity to help. There is so much pain in their lives, and there’s nothing he can do about it. He is angry to learn that a person has destroyed their lives. He hates himself, knowing that he did nothing prevent this. He can’t bear to look in her eyes.</p>
<p>There is too much betrayal written on her face.</p>
<p>"Urchin..." Lucifer takes courage and gives the girl a friendly look. "Urchin, I want you to take care of yourself and take care of your Mom," he says sincerely. "And I want you to promise me to not get into any more trouble."</p>
<p>"I'll do it!" Trixie says determinedly, and Lucifer smiles, a little sad and a little uncertain about the situation. "You're not coming back, right?"</p>
<p>Lucifer is shocked at the girl’s simple words. He’d noticed that she was mature for her age, but never imagined she could be like this.</p>
<p>He nods. "Be careful, Beatrice."</p>
<p>"You too," Her head snaps up and her eyes glisten. This is it. Lucifer hates this terrible moment of departure.</p>
<p>"But..." the little one latches on to him.</p>
<p> "I don’t want you to go," Trixie whispers. Tears run dow her face and she doesn’t bother to wipe them.</p>
<p>Lucifer also has tears in his eyes. He tries to be strong for the child, tries to stay calm.</p>
<p>"Is it my fault?" Trixie pouts. Her gaze switches between Lucifer and her mother. Tears continue escaping from her eyes. "Don’t go, Lucifer,!" she says, sobbing. "I'll be good, I promise!" Trixie cries while clinging to the man.</p>
<p>"No, this isn’t because of you, Urchin." Lucifer gives her a reassuring hug and run his hands comfortingly down her back.</p>
<p>"It’s is because of me,” Lucifer says. “ iIt's my fault." He smiles wryly. "But I want you to know that I’m grateful that we got to spend time together. Ever since I saw you, I knew you were special. A very strong and intelligent girl. You gave me back my faith in many things, and taught me more than anything I've learned in my life. You're the best friend anyone could ask for. Be strong, all right? "</p>
<p>Trixie simply nods, tight-lipped. She cries inconsolably when her mother picks her up.</p>
<p>She hasn’t said a word, but he knows he will shortly hear everything she has to say.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>"Please Mommy!" cries Trixie, kicking in her arms. "I'll be good!" She sobs uncontrollably, breaking the Chloe’s already battered heart.</p>
<p>The words come out of her mouth so fast that Chloe just barely processed them, and she hates to hear her baby mournbeg. This was the last thing she wanted. Chloe had never intended to make her feel bad. Chloe kisses her on top of her head, her soft brown hair on Chloe´s lips, her hands drawing small circles on Trixie´s back, trying to comfort her. "Shh, baby.," Her words are soft whispers as she is rocking her in her arms, clinging to her. Her hands still traceing the soothing circles. "Everything will be fine, I promise," she lies, because she knows for sure that nothing will be fine, at least not for a while, one really long time.</p>
<p>But the little girl seems determined to continue her struggle as she screams for the man. "Luci!"</p>
<p>So now Chloes is crying, crying at seeing her daughter so vulnerable, remembering her worried face, asking Lucifer not to leave, to feeling miserable and make her feel the same way.</p>
<p>Why didn’t she realized before the situation? Why wasn’t Trixie honest with her?  Was she scared? Was she sad?</p>
<p>Trixie´s chest vibrates shudders and Chloe can feels her girl clinging to her shirt as like a lifeguard, gasping for breath. It’s a constant signal that goes to through her like a dagger, shaking to her core.</p>
<p><em>Dad</em>... The word echoed in Chloe´s ears. And she feels like she’s is going to vomit.</p>
<p>Hot tears slip down her cheeks, but she refuses to let her voice betray her, facing looking down at the small girl whose face cradled in her chest.</p>
<p>Twenty minutes is the time it takes for Trixie to fall asleep. Twenty minutes of prayer for Lucifer, and twenty minutes of her heart breaking to pieces before her voice is muffled by her girl - conjuring nothing but pain for her.</p>
<p>God, she hates to see her sweet girl suffer.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Ella looks at the clock again on her left wrist, she sighs. It’s has been too long since she left Lucifer alone with Trixie. Will there be something wrong?  She wonders without getting a clear answer.</p>
<p>She’s about to exit the vehicle when she sees something that stops her. Chloe.</p>
<p>She’s cradling Trixie in her arms, tears staining her face, and her hair is tousled like her clothes. Ella's heart fears the worst.</p>
<p>She gets up from the seatout of the her car and goes to Chloe, her face solemn.</p>
<p>She views Chloe with concern. "Are you okay?"</p>
<p> Then she realizes that the tears are running down her cheeks.</p>
<p>"Uh, yeah. I'm fine." Chloe’s trying to give credible answers while Trixie is deposited in the back seat.</p>
<p>"Don’t get me wrong, but you don’t see fine, Decker" Ella points out awkwardly. "What happened?"</p>
<p>Chloe’s mouth trembles for a second and she runs rubs her hands over her face. She takes a deep breath, trying to become calm and determined.</p>
<p>"Breathe, Chloe, come on." Ella’s voice is almost hypnotic.</p>
<p>She does what Ella tells her. She tries to breathe again and again.; Unevenly at first, but with each breath her body regains control.</p>
<p>"Do you know Lucifer?"</p>
<p>"Lucifer?"</p>
<p>"Why are you answering my question with another question?" Chloe asks, her voice becomes much stronger. She sounds very angry.</p>
<p>She can’t tell if it's the frustration of the situation, or whether she’s trying to hide something.</p>
<p>Chloe looks inquisitively at Ella, and she clears her throat.</p>
<p>"I learned about him at Trixie´s football match."</p>
<p>Chloe nods and gestures to continue.</p>
<p>"She seems really happy with Lucifer. Since Trixie met him, she’s has done nothing but talk about Lucifer," she adds honestly. "She and Grace tried to buy a Dad, because Trixie wanted to stop being teased at school, but that didn’t happen."</p>
<p>Chloe looks at Trixie with tear-bright eyes. She’s is a precocious and quite insightful than five -years -old.</p>
<p>Chloe clicks her tongue. "If that's all you have to say...”</p>
<p>Ella shook her head. "Lucifer doesn’tknow," She gets stuck with on the other things she wants to say.</p>
<p>"I just wanted to help Trixie. This situation isn’t his fault, Chloe," Ella adds softly.</p>
<p>She teases. "You’re do not telling me."</p>
<p>"If you want to blame someone," Ella gasps. "Blame it on me."</p>
<p>Chloe stares at her.</p>
<p>"Blame me," Ella repeats. "I didn’t know how to say," her eyes start to tear up. "I want the best for Trixie; and if knowing she has someone to call Daddy makes her happy, I won’t deny her that." Ella sounds really hurt.</p>
<p>  "I love her too much to see her hurt by an illusion that just beginning to become true. God, Chloe! That man loves Trixie; she just wants him as well’ -...</p>
<p>Chloe cuts off her tirade. Ella shuts up her mouth with an audiblye click.</p>
<p>Chloe twists her mouth. "Okay. Now I'm not sure if you're actually apologizing and expressing regret." She replies.</p>
<p>"I really sorry, Chloe," Ella says, and that's all she says before the blonde turns away.</p>
<p>But this is a conversation that they needs to have.</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucifer’s head is a mess of thoughts and his heart’s beating to a huge rate when Chloe comes back to the school to meet him.</p>
<p>Her gaze can penetrate his soul and destroy it. He is sure. Her face, the one that normally wears a grin and or her sparkling smile is not in a visible place. No. Only her lips pursed together so painfully.</p>
<p>He isn’t ready. Not even close. But he will try to remedy the situation for her, for him, and for the little girl who stole his heart.</p>
<p>He opens his mouth, forming a clever phrase, but stops halfway.</p>
<p>"I don’t want to see you near my daughter." She declares, and Lucifer feels like his world collapses with those nine words.</p>
<p>"I just wanted to help!" Whispers as his heart begins to crumble, just as he did when seeing her before, seeing her at his side, now without Trixie in her arms.</p>
<p>She just stares at him. Oh God! ... It hurt beyond belief that he lied to her so openly. She can feels the blood in her veins becoming turn to frost. It is the pain of betrayal, deception, a vile game of illness that runs through her body.</p>
<p>"I'm not your charity case! You can't just snap your fingers, and get what you want!" Chloe yells indignantly.</p>
<p>"Apparently not! If I could, you'd say a simple thank you instead of scolding me like a child!" Lucifer retorts.</p>
<p>And it's that simple phrase, what breaks the context of her rationality.</p>
<p>"I told you about my daughter, about my life, and for what?" She yells. "Why play with me, and with her in such a sick way, Lucifer? How could you do this?" She exclaims shakily. "You're horrible!" she yells again, with more anger building up inside.</p>
<p> "Playing with a child, making her believeing a vile lie!" She presses her hands tightly together. "How could you? Oh, I hate you!"</p>
<p>She hits him in the chest, and then again and again and again, all the while screaming venting her hatred toward at him, again and again. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"</p>
<p>And for the second time in his life, he feels powerless. He takes absorbs every shot, every word. The hollow look in her eyes just grows and grows.</p>
<p>He's horrible, he's really the worst man she's has never met! He's is selfish and impulsive, and why how could she ever even have thought to have feelings for him? How could she? Lucifer is a proud person who only cares about himself!</p>
<p>Tears well up in her eyes and her voice falters further. She will not let them fall. She can't afford to mourn, she can't! Enough tears: simply disappear, she tells herself. She doesn’t need them. But she’s strong enough to fight them.</p>
<p>One of them falls, anyway, sliding down her cheek (traitorous heart, she thinks), and the Lucifer’s expression becomes horrified at the sight of it. His whole face is pale, filtered of any color.</p>
<p>"Chloe," he says softly, gently touching all the data from the tears from on her cheeks. "Don't," he asks, wiping her salty tears in from her perfect porcelain skin, "Weep not for me."</p>
<p>Her face crumples, trying to fight all the feelings that strike at her mind: pain, disappointment, more disappointment, anger. She’s some experience fighting tears in recent years.  But in this case, she doesn’t succeed.</p>
<p>"Let me explain," he begs.</p>
<p>Chloe turns back, stomping toward him violently, her whole body vibrating with furious energy, tense, indomitable.</p>
<p>He doesn’t have time to react before Chloe's hand swings forward to slap him in the face with such force that it stings.</p>
<p>Lucifer turns to faces her, a red palm print on his cheek, his eyes nearly black with fury.</p>
<p>She pulls her arm back to slap him again, but he catches her wrist, pulling her closer until she is pulled up against caught in his chest.</p>
<p>"I didn't know that Trixie was your daugher. I realized that I care about you... a lot... more than I probably should. I would never play with you, Chloe," he stutters, eventually looking away timidly.</p>
<p>"Sure," She says sarcastically. "No doubt, You've been practicing that line since you woke up."</p>
<p>"I just want you, Lucifer Morningstar, to stay away from me and my daughter. I don't want to ever want to see you again. I hate you and I'm wish I’d never thought you could be someone worthy and friendly!".</p>
<p>Chloe leaves, slamming the door, and then Lucifer then feels the bullet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.<br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>What should Lucifer do to earn Chloe's forgiveness?<br/>Should she forgive him?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Notion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm overwhelmed by the amount of pleasant comments my story has had, it is incredible.<br/>Thank you all very much for that.<br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other story: Friday I'm In Love  <br/>I have a couple of announcements to make:<br/>1.	I have several chapters, at least five written and edited for publication of this story. And from chapter 13 we go into much darker and deeper issues. So stay tuned. Many problems, and revelations are yet to come. <br/>2.	The next chapter of my story Friday I'm In Love is being edited by my beta, I still await your corrections for those people who have asked me about it.<br/>3.	I have a new story I'm working on, it's actually several chapters of the same series, related to a very jealous devil. If anyone wants to help me by being my beta with this new story, please raise your hand.<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>How long can a person suffer, trying to deal with self-destruction? How long does it take to turn to self-preservation?</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her world falls apart, and the worst is... it isn't the first time. She grabs her head, confused and hurt, and sinks into the pillows.</p>
<p>What happened to my life?</p>
<p>It hurts, it hurts so much.</p>
<p>She could cry a river. She could even cry enough to fill a lake.</p>
<p>As the hours passed, she lay in bed, swallowing salty tears.</p>
<p>Nobody saw Chloe Decker for the next seven days. Chloe was not even herself for seven days. She was too afraid to face her reflection in the mirror.</p>
<p>She felt like she was drowning; that heaviness only felt in a different time and by a completely different person.</p>
<p>But the wounds - once pathetically closed – now, more than ever, seem open and and even more painful.</p>
<p>Trust is disgusting, they told her once.</p>
<p>How wise they were, who said that phrase, how right they were. She should have listened. Unfortunately, through the experiences and words of another person - nobody learns.</p>
<p>She can still hear his voice in her mind, his botched apology. The pain is installed to stay, and anger is her only company.</p>
<p>She should be objective, but the truth is, she can't be.</p>
<p>Ella said - even her daughter said – it isn't Lucifer's fault.</p>
<p>Fate has played them, and emerged victorious with the macabre plan it managed to build.</p>
<p>Still, she can't forgive him. Not yet.</p>
<p>Just a couple of seconds later, the door of her room opens, giving way to a blonde-haired, perfectly-built woman. Her warm eyes and friendly smile are a combination that matches her incredible personality.</p>
<p>"You're good?" Candy asks, with an apprehensive look at her face, wondering whether to bring breakfast or dinner. She's not really sure of anything at this point.  She only knows parts that Ella told her, something related to a lie, a handsome man who broke the hearts of Chloe and her daughter.</p>
<p>Chloe can feel the tears in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks, but she blinks to hold them back. She shakes her head and looks down.</p>
<p>Candy sits beside her, one hand gently brushing her hair while talking softly with her friend. "Time fixes everything, Chlo. Not at once, but soon, the solution will appear and you’ll laugh at all this."</p>
<p>Candy likes like how Chloe’s eyes open in response to her words.</p>
<p>"I know," she answers easily, trying to hide the fact that she's scared of the whole situation; or rather, the mess of situation.</p>
<p>"I don't know how to tell you what you need to know," Candy finally confesses, her voice as quiet as hers.</p>
<p>"Just say it," Chloe grumbles.</p>
<p>Candy gives her one of her serious looks. "Then you know what I'm going to say."</p>
<p>"I know." She swallows firmly. "Don't give up. The grief and mourning will stop, and you will see the truth behind the lies.”</p>
<p>Candy smiles, knowing that is something that she would say. "Exactly," she answered, lightly patting the bed.</p>
<p>"When did you become a fortune cookie?" Chloe questions, her tears now replaced by a smile.</p>
<p>"Well, if you think I'm that good, maybe I could write a book!" she teases, and hugs her in silence. "Do you think anyone would buy it?" she laughs.</p>
<p>"I would buy it," Chloe says, still in her embrace.</p>
<p>Thank God for Candy.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Mommy!" Trixie cries while she rushes back to her drawing. "Look! Look! Is Luci!" she exclaims with too much emotion. Chloe nods sadly, unable to stop and look at the drawing of the man who has come to life, just to destroy it with false smiles and flirtatious glances.</p>
<p>Trixie did not seem to notice her eyes. "This is you and this is me," she explains proudly, pointing to her drawing.</p>
<p>"It's very cute, monkey." Chloe smiles a little at her small girl’s unspoken suggestion. Trixie asks if she can speak with Lucifer at least twenty times a day.</p>
<p>"Please?" Trixie looks at her pleadingly. "Is it that you don't like Luci, Mommy?" she asks, looking at her mother with wide eyes. ”Is it?" She looks suspicious. A frown is on her face and an automatic pout appears. "Don't you like Lucifer?" the child insists.</p>
<p>Chloe breathes deeply and tells her to continue with another drawing.</p>
<p>Trixie lowers her eyes and looks down at her drawing, her little mouth wobbling.</p>
<p>Chloe instantly repents. This is a constant reminder of how everything has been damaged.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucifer looks like a wounded puppy waiting for someone to love him when Daniel enters his flat. His eyes appear bloodshot, his hair is tousled and a couple of glasses adorn his table. He doesn't seem to have noticed Daniel’s presence.</p>
<p>Daniel sighs. His voice echoes in the room. "Have you not slept at all?"</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles cheekily at his friend. His gaze falls on him.</p>
<p>"Of course!” he shrugs, his response full of sarcasm. "I'm an adult. I sleep often. Sometimes even by myself."</p>
<p>Daniel squints at Lucifer. "Something happened," he says suspiciously. "You're all upset and cranky. Did someone forget to kiss the ground you walk on?" he mocks.</p>
<p>"Chloe hates me." They are the only words Lucifer can muster, his voice barely a whisper.</p>
<p>And suddenly it clicks in Daniel's mind. Oh! Chloe, the beautiful woman that dazzles everyone with her smile, elegance and dreamy voice.</p>
<p>The woman who can generate many mood swings in Lucifer Morningstar.</p>
<p>Which is a fun fact, since Lucifer Morningstar is nothing but wounded before the blonde woman’s indifference. To be honest, Daniel didn’t think he’d ever see the day when something like this would happen.</p>
<p>"But you like her," is Daniel’s simple answer. "What else matters?"</p>
<p>Lucifer's smile is wry. "Karma sucks" he elaborated under the watchful gaze of his friend. "Chloe turned out to be Trixie’s mother." He folds his arms over his chest to signify his point.</p>
<p> He examines the dark-haired man up and down while waiting for his reaction.</p>
<p>Daniel claps his shoulder sincerely. "I'm sorry, man."</p>
<p>"Did Amenadiel tell you to say that?" Lucifer half-jokes.</p>
<p>"No." Daniel emphasizes with a shake of his head. "I know how much you care about the girl and I’ve never seen you so bad for a woman before".</p>
<p>"I screwed everything up."</p>
<p>"I thought that was your trademark!" Daniel laughs to lighten the mood but Lucifer gives him a serious look. He continues. "But you always do something to get out of the problem and fix everything, even if it seems impossible."</p>
<p>"I hope this is one of those cases," Lucifer says passionately.</p>
<p>"It is!" Daniel smiles confidently. "Just have faith."</p>
<p>And maybe that's what Lucifer will do.</p>
<p>Have faith.</p>
<p>For one damn time in his entire existence.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It's a little after four p.m. when Patrice’s voice interrupts his thoughts. He speaks incoherently, from which all he can deduce that someone is here to visit. He frowns and gives him a look, at which point he bursts into exhausted comment, when the figure of a little girl appears.</p>
<p>Grace.</p>
<p> The girl who wanted to buy a dad for her friend.</p>
<p>The girl who let him meet the most special girl in his life.</p>
<p>She watches him timidly, not without taking her eyes off him. She wears a cute dress with blue and pink flowers. Two pigtails in her hair accompany her appearance perfectly. She smiles.</p>
<p>Lucifer gives her a warm smile and invites her to enter.</p>
<p>Grace is in front of him in a second, sitting in the room’s leather couch. "I like your penthouse, it’s very cute," she says, without losing the detail of each object in the place.</p>
<p>"Thank you," he says simply. Children who had previously lost loved ones seem to talk to Lucifer constantly. "I hope you're not here alone, Grace. Your mother can” -</p>
<p>"Ella brought me," she interrupts, and he nods with understanding. "Trixie seems devastated without you," she blurts.</p>
<p>"You think so?" Lucifer replies without looking into her eyes. His voice is filled with concern. He doesn't know what's going on; but he wants desperately to know.</p>
<p>"Well," she says, sounding exhausted, "She won’t admit it, but I can see." She points to her face, focusing on her eyes. "It's all in the eyes."</p>
<p>Lucifer watches in amazement, as if she were explaining a complex quantum physics problem. He smiles. This girl is a genius with words and her understanding of people; especially her friend.</p>
<p>"You should see her," she advises, setting her pretty eyes on Lucifer. "So Trixie will no longer be sad."</p>
<p>He sighs slowly. If only things were that simple.</p>
<p> "You know, Grace, there are some things that are difficult for adults. Things that can't be solved so quickly. They need time," he explains slowly so he cannot miss the girl’s look of confusion.</p>
<p>"Don't give up! You can't leave a person who loves you a lot!" she says, giving him a sad look. "You can't leave her like her daddy did."</p>
<p>Lucifer is at a loss for words.</p>
<p>The girl leans forward, playing with her hands. Her words are a whisper. "Not everything can be easy. My mommy says that."</p>
<p>Lucifer shakes his head, thinking she doesn’t understand that life isn't a fairy tale. Reality is a bit more complicated - there is a chasm between him and Trixie now.</p>
<p>A few tears escape her eyes as she gets up from the chair.</p>
<p>Lucifer is at her side in an instant, hastening to dry her tears. "I don't want you to cry, Grace. You're a beautiful girl who should be happy all the time," he says sincerely.</p>
<p>She nods, looking at him. One hand travels to the pocket of her dress.</p>
<p>She hands him a small toy compass.</p>
<p>"If you ever miss her, you can find your way back," she says softly.</p>
<p>His eyes light up and he lifts her off the ground to hug her tightly. He thinks that she means more than physically lost.</p>
<p>It's perfect. As perfect as the girl in his arms.</p>
<p>"Thank you for believing in me, Grace."</p>
<p>Her eyes fill with hope. "Will you talk to Trixie?"</p>
<p>"I have no choice really, you're pretty relentless!" Lucifer jokes.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe rose, showered, and is now managing the chaos of the room.</p>
<p>The sound of the door interrupts her cleaning.</p>
<p>Lucifer is there, looking as cool and confident as ever.</p>
<p>With a smile that can stop anyone in their tracks, and a look that has every person swooning from his charm.</p>
<p>She ignores him, leaving the door open for him to enter. He clears his throat and turns around, reorganizing in his head the things in the chaotic room.</p>
<p>"Yes?" she asks, trying to keep her voice gentle as she struggles with the tension in the room.</p>
<p>Neither knows what to do about the other, leaving the air thick with everything that has not been said.</p>
<p>She looks at him expectantly.  His actions far outweighed hers, so why should she start? No, if he wants her to say something, he should apologize first. She would not get further involved, will not  let her heart show the way. She will not suffer any more and she won’t let her daughter suffer in the process. She will give up trying to see the good in him... until he is able to behave like an adult and apologize.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>What should Lucifer do to earn Chloe's forgiveness? <br/>Should she forgive him?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Real conversations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm overwhelmed by the amount of pleasant comments my story has had, it is incredible.<br/>Thank you all very much for that.<br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other story: Friday I'm In Love  <br/>I have a couple of announcements to make:<br/>1.	I have several chapters, at least five written and edited for publication of this story. And from chapter 13 we go into much darker and deeper issues. So stay tuned. Many problems, and revelations are yet to come. <br/>2.	The next chapter of my story Friday I'm In Love is being edited by my beta, I still await your corrections for those people who have asked me about it.<br/>3.	I have a new story I'm working on, it's actually several chapters of the same series, related to a very jealous devil. If anyone wants to help me by being my beta with this new story, please raise your hand.<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They say that time heals all wounds, and that with the passing of days, weeks and months, the once-searing pain that drilled holes in the heart will fade, and the holes will close and leave behind only rapidly healing scars. In a way, it is true, that as time passes, injuries that once stung so painfully will quieten and the burn will lessen until it is hardly noticeable.</p>
<p>That is - until the heart is broken again - the pain returns and the cycle begins again.</p>
<p>This is one of those times.</p>
<p>Chloe has no idea what to do or how to close the hole in her heart; and it is incredibly frustrating.</p>
<p>She beckons him into the room with a single hand gesture, unable to meet his eyes or start a conversation. Lucifer smiles almost shyly as he enters the room, staring awkwardly around as he waits for her to say something.</p>
<p>"Can we sit?" he asks when it becomes evident she won't be breaking the awkward silence between them.</p>
<p>She nods again, and he hates the way she refuses to look at him. It is something he desperately needs. He needs to see the deep blue color of the eyes she is desperately hiding from him. He needs to know that everything is going to be ok. He needs the warmth that only she can give him.</p>
<p>His voice seems to shrink as he asks "How are you?"</p>
<p>"Besides you lying to me, I'm fine," she responds in a sarcastically icy tone. Her eyes settle on him for the first time and he is surprised (and hurt) by how cold they are.</p>
<p>They take his breath away.</p>
<p>He is shocked by the depth of his reaction to her pain. It hurts far worse that he thought it would to see those lovely eyes filled with sadness and pain, instead of resonating light and warmth like they usually are.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry," he whispers.</p>
<p>Chloe's heart hurts because of his words, and it's more than she can bear.</p>
<p>"I know there's a reason why you don't like me."</p>
<p>"Really? Very perceptive of you, Mr. Morningstar," she snorts angrily, throwing him a withering look.</p>
<p>Despite her anger and distain, he still like her; and he can't explain why this woman affects him so much.</p>
<p>"You don't know how sorry I am."</p>
<p>She can see vulnerability and sincerity in his eyes, traits she had no idea he knew the meaning of, let alone possessed.</p>
<p>"Maybe it's just words to you, but for the first in my life I mean it. I'm really sorry."</p>
<p>Lucifer pauses. Such things aren't easy to say, and he isn't sure that she cares, anyway.</p>
<p>"I've had everything I've ever wanted my entire life, and I thought that was enough."</p>
<p>She looks at him with derision.</p>
<p>Of course, of course this conversation would start with something about him.</p>
<p>He's so selfish he can't even apologize right!</p>
<p>"Until I met Beatrice. I won't lie, at first it meant nothing to me; She wanted a father figure to show off in front of her friends at school, and I was just that. But the more time I spent with her, the more I liked her company and I became excited about the little things, like going to buy ice cream, kindergarten, football games and learning more than I ever needed to know about koalas."</p>
<p>He turns to look at her and pauses. There are tears in her eyes, but just as she opens her mouth to speak, he stops her. He has to finish this.</p>
<p>"Trixie is fun and a great friend. She even gave me advice on how to get Grace to choose ice cream flavors."</p>
<p>A smile curves his lips as the memory overwhelms him. He has to remember to thank the Urchin. If it hadn’t been for her, he would never have met…</p>
<p>He rejects that thought immediately and continues. He can't afford to think like that right now.</p>
<p>"That child is so wonderful, Chloe. She makes you want to be a better person. And I clung to it, that hope and that faith she had in me. I couldn't disappoint her. "</p>
<p>Her voice sounds so low, it's barely a whisper as she asks "Who gave you the right to lie like that?"</p>
<p>"I know what I did wrong. I can't justify my actions without sounding like an idiot and a complete j***."</p>
<p>A deep sigh escapes his lips as he runs his hands through his hair, a clear sign of his frustration. "But the truth is, I wanted to make her happy. She wanted a father so desperately that I just wanted it to be real to her."</p>
<p>"How could you, Lucifer?" she demands with a fury burning in her beautiful eyes.</p>
<p>He pretends not to notice her lower lip tremble slightly as it kills him inside just that little bit more, that knowledge of the damage he's caused.</p>
<p>"Was it fun? Did you have fun playing the father of a child, my child?"</p>
<p>His muscles tense and he feels his jaw tighten under his hand. For several seconds, he panics. It's all gone wrong. She doesn't believe him.</p>
<p>He's said it all wrong, and now she will probably never speak to him again.</p>
<p>He considers the possibility of lying to get out of the incredible mess he's made, but he knows he could never go through with lying to her.</p>
<p>"I should say that I regret pretending to be the urchin's father but I don't, and I'm not sorry I did it. Because between the time I spent helping her do homework and talking to her about exotic animals, I fell deeply in love with this fantastic little girl who spoke so highly of her mother, who can paint dreams so vividly on a canvas she can make them real, and love so deeply that it’s completely impossible not to care for her."</p>
<p>Chloe sighs in frustration. Lucifer's words hit her like a ton of bricks and she feels the gut-wrenching pain her heart lessen just a fraction.</p>
<p>Something inside her is fractured, broken into pieces, and the look on Lucifer's face tells Chloe that he knows. That he can see into the very heart of her and knows exactly what's wrong.</p>
<p>When he tries to take her hand, though, she pointedly draws them away, indicating firmly that she does not need him , she will never need him.</p>
<p>"I thought I had everything I wanted out of life, Chloe, but I was wrong. It wasn't what I needed."</p>
<p>She says nothing and after several minutes of silence, his turns his gaze towards her again. She is crying hard, and he watches numbly as her heart breaks all over again - right in front of him - while he is powerless to stop it. He wants to comfort her, he wants to take her in his arms so badly and protect her. He longs to wipe the tears from her beautiful, beautiful eyes, but he can't. He knows she won't allow it and it kills him.</p>
<p>She watches him questioningly as he clears his throat, ready to try again.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry!" he says after a moment. "I wanted to make her happy."</p>
<p>"That's why Trixie trusts you," she says, wiping away a stray tear and straightening up. "And that's why...”</p>
<p>Lucifer leans forward and just catches her faint whisper.</p>
<p>She takes a deep sigh. "Trixie's father..."</p>
<p>She takes a moment, trapped in his intense gaze, then adds "I just want her to not have to worry about anyone else. Trixie doesn't need any more disappointment. She's suffered enough."</p>
<p>"Nobody's going to hurt her or you," Lucifer says. "I promise I won't let anyone else cause her any pain." He gives her an encouraging smile.</p>
<p>Chloe looks down, a little embarrassed by her openness with a near stranger. After all, she didn't even know this man a couple of months ago. And now she is spilling her heart to him.</p>
<p>"You don't know that." Her eyes are full of fear and the protective instinct that comes with being a mother.</p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't even blink. "You're right of course. But I can try." He smiles reassuringly and slowly, so as not to frighten her, tries again to reach for her hand and is thrilled when, this time, she doesn’t pull away but returns the gentle squeeze of his hand that he gives her.</p>
<p>"But I promise you'll be absolutely fine. I'm here for you. And for the urchin."</p>
<p>She raises her head to look at him, shocked by the sincerity of his promise. "I swear, Chloe, that Beatrice will never feel pain again. She will never be lonely or sad again."</p>
<p>Did he really just promise her that? Without a second thought? Chloe has to admit he’s surprised her tonight in more ways than she can count. She never thought she would find someone like him again - someone who understood her in every way and who could help her through anything that went wrong. She understood now that if everyone else left, Lucifer would still be there. And Chloe was more than grateful. She is probably in love.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"So, you like my daughter?" she asks again, confirming what everyone else already knew. Lucifer gives her a serious look, their hands still entwined.</p>
<p>"Very much so," he says with a smile.</p>
<p> <em>Probably almost as much as I like her mother, he thinks.</em></p>
<p>She smiles, a beautiful smile; and begins to dry her tears.</p>
<p>Just a few seconds later, the door opens, revealing Ella carrying a few boxes in her hands and a girl jumping from one place to another.</p>
<p>"Mommy!" smiling cheerfully, Chloe hugs the small girl that bursts through the door behind Ella just as soon as she stands still long enough to accept her hug.</p>
<p>"I'm so happy to see you," she smiles, wrapping her arms around her girl.</p>
<p>Chloe steps aside to introduce the man who is standing behind her. And at that moment, the girl's eyes open wide and she lunges forward straight into the arms of the dark tall man. Chloe sees her little arms clinging to him, as if she feared that Lucifer wasn't real.</p>
<p>"You're here, Luci!" Trixie's voice is pure joy, surely too loud and high-pitched for inside a house, but so full of joy that Lucifer finds he doesn't care. Not when Trixie's embrace is all he needs right now.</p>
<p>He feels like a blind man that's just seen the sun for the first time. It's a feeling that overwhelms and astonishes him at the same time. This child is her anchor on this earth. Trixie has, in a very short time, earned his love, and being separated from her is not something Lucifer ever wants to experience again.</p>
<p>He can't live without either of them - and it's too much.</p>
<p>"I thought you weren't coming back," comes a little whisper from Trixie; and Lucifer breaks.</p>
<p>Tears flowed freely down her face as he apologizes over and over again, trying to subdue the pain they both feel. "It broke my heart to not see you, urchin," he admits. "I missed you a lot."</p>
<p>Chloe looks away as tears roll down her cheeks yet again, and Ella beats a hasty exit to let the little family have their reunion.</p>
<p>"I missed you so much, Luci," Trixie says honestly as she wipes away Lucifer's tears. "Are you really not going back?" she asks softly. Her eyes are filled with so much doubt that it makes Lucifer’s heart sink again.</p>
<p>"No, I'm here to stay," he reassures the child.</p>
<p>A tentative grin spreads across Trixie’s face as if she can't quite bring herself to believe that it might be true. That Lucifer really might be here to stay.</p>
<p>"You won't leave like... "Trixie hesitates, the finishes in a rush "like my… Dad?"</p>
<p>"I promise that I will stay for as long as you want."</p>
<p>Trixie watches him, processing his words. "Forever," she says with a shy smile.</p>
<p>Lucifer bursts out laughing, shaking his head. "Forever it is."</p>
<p>And Chloe suddenly feels really happy.</p>
<p>They say that time heals all wounds, and that with the passing of days, weeks and months, the once searing pain that drills holes in the heart will fade, and the holes will close and leave behind only rapidly-healing scars. In a way, it is true that as time passes, injuries that once stung so painfully will quieten and the burn will lessen until it is hardly noticeable.</p>
<p>Maybe it's just a theory, maybe it's not. But what Chloe does know is that for the first time she really feels at peace and that maybe just for once, there isn't going to be any pain at all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?</p>
<p>In the next chapter we will begin to learn about the past of Trixie and her mother. Spoiler alert, it won't be pretty.</p>
<p>Thoughts about Trixie's father?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Being in Trixie's company for longer lets Lucifer appreciate all that he had been unable to see before.<br/>From the first moment he met her, his mind decided to step aside for the first time and let his emotions experience everything first-hand.<br/>He decided not to question the child about her father and not manipulate her in order to know her past.<br/>He never wanted to. Looking back, he realizes he has never been able to.<br/>Until now.<br/>Until the scars that seemed to be hidden under a thin layer of superficiality emerge, bringing everything out in sight.<br/>Until the moment when the child breaks, and Lucifer can feel a dark past approaching, calling for him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. <br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite. <br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other story: Friday I'm In Love  <br/>NOTE: The next chapter of my story Friday I'm In Love is being edited by my beta, I still await your corrections for those people who have asked me about it.<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>ONE</strong>
</p>
<p>There is a 3x4 canvas that occupies the central part of the room.</p>
<p>Trixie silently observes the painting in front of her, runs her little fingers over the surface of the slightly wet paint. Sliding a nearby stool over, she climbs on top to reach the height of the canvas. Once there, she studies the painting in more detail.</p>
<p>The fire that begins with a small orange flame is transformed into something much bigger, stronger, darker. As dark as the color of the blood emerging from the center of the painting and devastating everything in its path, leaving traces of gray ash with black spots.</p>
<p>Trixie frowns when her fingers flutter through the wet paint, unintentionally mixing the black with the red.</p>
<p>Lucifer, from his chair, looks away from his mobile to focus on the child.</p>
<p>"The fire burned everything," She whispers under her breath.</p>
<p>"You have a good eye for detail," Lucifer reflects aloud, walking over to the child.</p>
<p>"What else does the painting tell us?" Lucifer asks. His eyes don´move from the child for a single second.</p>
<p>She lowers her gaze for a second to her fingers, stained red. "He's sad."</p>
<p>"Who?"</p>
<p>Trixie still doesn't look at him when she says. "The painter, that's why he wants to burn everything."</p>
<p>Lucifer blinks slowly.</p>
<p>Devastation - purification. It's the first word that comes to his mind.</p>
<p>Lucifer knows it, and apparently she knows it, too.</p>
<p>The fire burning everything in its path means the rebirth, the purification of the demons.</p>
<p>The evasion of emptiness, loneliness - from the most critical point of a soul torn apart.</p>
<p>It's simple, but not for a five-year-old child.</p>
<p>Lucifer is impressed by it.</p>
<p>"It's a metal fork."</p>
<p>Lucifer allows himself to smile. "A metaphor."</p>
<p>Trixie´s face visibly lights up at her right answer. "Yes, that. A metalfork."</p>
<p>Lucifer nods when another related phrase returns from his memories.</p>
<p>
  <em>"You will burn."</em>
</p>
<p>But that thought lasts little, being brought to the present by the thud of a stool falling to the ground. Trixie climbs out of it, managing to stain not only her shirt red, but her face and hair in the process.</p>
<p>"Now bath time," Ella, who had remained calm reading in her seat states with a firm tone.</p>
<p>"I don't want to!" Trixie's lips tremble, a clear image before the tantrum to come.</p>
<p>Lucifer sighs.</p>
<p>"Trix, babe," Ella begins with the tone of voice that Chloe usually used with her. "Chlo will be very angry if I allow you to stay covered with paint."</p>
<p>She looks at Ella with something that borders on disbelief. Her eyes flicker rapidly, her lips form a thin line and her arms fall on the table with a dramatic gesture.</p>
<p>A gesture that Lucifer recognizes as one of his own. That almost makes him smile.</p>
<p>"Trixie, bathroom. Now!"</p>
<p>"NO!"</p>
<p>"Now, Trix!" Her voice goes up a tone, one too loud.</p>
<p>The five-year-old looks at her nanny for too long, bringing her arms to the center of her body, lowering her head as her lips tremble in a pout.</p>
<p>Lucifer mentally rebukes himself, but ends up negotiating with the wiliest of offers.</p>
<p>"We can go for chocolate cake after the bath."</p>
<p>She nods. And Lucifer smiles.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Ten minutes later</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Trixie still frowns when Ella announces that her bath is ready.</p>
<p>However, Lucifer doesn't allow her to protest, just takes her in his arms and into the bathroom.</p>
<p>When Lucifer deposits her on the floor, Trixie's eyes scan the entire bathroom - from the floor tiles to the warm water in the tub, full of colored bubbles, with two toy ducks that, curiously, Lucifer remembers seeing Ella using in one of her previous baths, a pirate ship and two dolls.</p>
<p>Lucifer's chest warms before the sight. It's a kind gesture for the child to feel comfortable.</p>
<p>"I don't want a bath," Trixie whispers, looking at the water; then at Lucifer.</p>
<p>In her eyes there are so many unspoken words that Lucifer finds himself wanting to read each of them. She's afraid, Lucifer knows it.</p>
<p>What Lucifer doesn't understand yet is why. "I can go if you feel uncomfortable," he responds by feeling the child's reluctance.</p>
<p>She takes a deep breath, a gesture she has clearly learned from Chloe. Her eyes again detail the bathroom, and she shakes her head.</p>
<p>"I want you to bathe me"</p>
<p>Ella nods, retreating to the bathroom door and taking up residence there. Allowing the new parent to do the work.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles, then patiently waits for her to get ready, rolling the sleeves of his blue shirt up to his elbows, to avoid getting completely wet.</p>
<p>Touching the water, controlling the temperature of it, he kneels in front of the tub.</p>
<p>She sighs audibly, and shrugs her shoulders. She bites her lower lip and gives Lucifer a look.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles kindly, or as kindly as he's capable, trying to cheer her up. Trixie's hands flutter in the water and takes one of the ducks.</p>
<p>"What do you think we should call it?" Lucifer asks after a pause.</p>
<p>Trixie is quick to respond. "Dusty."</p>
<p>Lucifer laughs, and this seems to do the trick.</p>
<p>Trixie strips off her shoes and blue pants and enters the tub. Lucifer looks at her white flannel shirt with a rainbow soaked in paint and now water.</p>
<p>She says nothing. She takes each of the dolls, making sounds.</p>
<p>Lucifer looks at her while her brain remembers what he should do. It's the first time he’s bathed a child.</p>
<p>He starts wetting the urchin's hair. His hands are gentle on her dark curls. She laughs a couple of times, muttering about ninjas, mars and dinosaurs.</p>
<p>"Tilt your head back and close your eyes, you don't want shampoo in them."</p>
<p>"Uh-huh," She replies. "You're good at this; better than Ella!"</p>
<p>Lucifer's eyes open in surprise. "Really?" he asks, adding a portion of children's shampoo to his hand.</p>
<p>She laughs. "Sorry, Ella."</p>
<p>Lucifer mumbles “I know,” and continues with his work.</p>
<p>Ella just laughs and rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>His fingers rest on the edge of Trixie's shirt to lift it when the girl opens her eyes in horror. "Urchin, you can't bathe with the shirt on, or maybe you can, I don´t know anything about little humans!"</p>
<p>The girl shrugs her shoulders, pouting.</p>
<p>Ella intervenes. "Come on, honey, you have a swimsuit underneath!"</p>
<p>Trixie looks down and releases the boats in order to raise her hands.</p>
<p>Lucifer carefully removes the shirt from the child's body, placing it with the rest of the clothes on the floor.</p>
<p>But the sight he finds takes his breath away. There is a series of small scars on both sides of her waist and a couple more just below the ribs, which extend to her back. By the color of them, they're old. Due to their shape, they were produced by more than one cutting object.</p>
<p>Glass is the most viable option, given their depth.</p>
<p>Lucifer swallows in silence. There is a sensation in the pit of his stomach - very close to a deep anger, mixed with disgust.</p>
<p>His mouth twists, and it takes thirty seconds for his brain to reorder his thoughts.</p>
<p>His eyes open when the realization hits him hard.</p>
<p>A thought crosses his mind, and it hurts like hell when he analyzes it.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Urchin, where's your father?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don't know, my Mom doesn't talk about that." She ends. "But I don't want him to come back."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Why not?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Mommy cries when he's around, the last time he came back, we had to be in the hospital for a while."</em>
</p>
<p>It makes a lot of sense, now.</p>
<p>He's enraged at the idea of a man who thinks that because he's a father he can harm his daughter.</p>
<p>Anger mingles with sadness. His hands cling to the tub, wanting to be anchored to the ground.</p>
<p>He has a crazy idea to find this maniac and tear off every part of his body, hit him until he can't hit him anymore; hit him like he did with Trixie.</p>
<p>His precious and dear child.</p>
<p>"I'm still here!" the little one complains.</p>
<p>Lucifer breathes. Trixie’s eyes are looking at him and Lucifer knows it. For the first time he gives a fake smile to the child.</p>
<p>"Really?" Lucifer begins. "For a moment I thought I had the evil twin in the tub, you know... the wrong ninja because of all the silence!"</p>
<p>"No!" She laughs.</p>
<p>"I don't believe you!" His fingers tease the girl, tickling. Trixie's laughter grows even louder.</p>
<p>"It's me!" She continues laughing. "Luci!"</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles. "My mistake! You were very convincing."</p>
<p>She nods, speaking this time of mythological animals. She looks less uncomfortable, for which Lucifer is grateful. He tries to keep his face from contracting when his fingers touch the child’s scars, and he tries to not let the anger consume him.</p>
<p>Instead, he just listens to the anecdotes of a five-year-old girl.</p>
<p>And swears that Beatrice will never submit to anything similar.</p>
<p>Not if Lucifer Morningstar has anything to say about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Hours later, the painting still remains in Lucifer’s room. He has solved the case.</p>
<p>The annoyed husband who, faced with the infidelity of his wife, sought to purify her of her sins through fire. Lamentably for him, the fire didn't manage to consume the house, allowing the woman to flee from the place and to warn the police.</p>
<p>His hand plays with the edge of the cup when his cell phone sounds.</p>
<p>"I know it's bad, man. But I couldn't say anything in front of Trix, "She starts out talking too fast. "I was speechless the first time I saw the scars. I should have warned you I'm sorry man but I'm in the dark, just like you."</p>
<p>Lucifer's response is immediate. <em>"</em>I want to tear him to pieces. I also want to confront Chloe.<em> "</em></p>
<p> <em>"</em>No, she will only lock herself up. And that will be it. Trust me, don't do it!<em> "</em></p>
<p> <em>"</em>Maybe I can...<em> "</em></p>
<p> <em>"</em>Don't even think of using your mojo with a five-year-old girl, Lucifer Morningstar<em>"</em></p>
<p> <em>"</em>It offends me that you think so. I was going to suggest another course of action<em>"</em></p>
<p> "Now I'm intrigued! I'm waiting, Man"</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>TWO</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Can we read this?" Trixie asks, her eyes on the black book with white letters.</p>
<p>"It's for adults," Dan answers for her, walking over to join her. "You wouldn’t be intested in it."</p>
<p>"It has handcuffs on it," She objects. "Is it a police story?"</p>
<p>
  <em>Fifty shades of gray.</em>
</p>
<p>Dan stutters a laugh, bowing his head to cover it with a cough.</p>
<p>"You know what? We can play chess!" Dan offers the board too quickly, trying to evade the topic.</p>
<p>Trixie bounces on her seat, excited at the suggestion. The chocolate cake has been left aside, like the picture of Dan's sister with her current boyfriend, a blond guy with a Mohican hairstyle, a crest with shades of green in his hair. Harriett called him a rock star; Trixie also thought the same. Dan could only roll his eyes at such a show.</p>
<p>"I didn't think you knew how to play," Dan declares as a matter of fact.</p>
<p>Trixie jumps off the chair to sit cross-legged on the floor in front of the big board. Her hands carefully place each white piece on its corresponding square.</p>
<p>"I learned a long time ago. Ella taught me."</p>
<p>That explains a lot.</p>
<p>"Okay, we'll go slow. If you have any questions, you can ask," Dan offers kindly. He doesn't want to beat a child so fast. It's unfair.</p>
<p>The little girl just smiles.</p>
<p>Funny... for some strange reason, it reminds her a lot of Lucifer.</p>
<p>Dan realizes why, after sixteen moves.</p>
<p>"Are you sure you want to move that piece?" The child's eyebrows rise slightly.</p>
<p>Dan hesitates for a second, then she gives him a confident look and an even more confident smile.</p>
<p>"Checkmate!"</p>
<p>"What?" Dan asks in horror as her white horse destroys his black king.</p>
<p>"Checkmate!" the girl declares triumphantly.</p>
<p>Dan’s voice is sharp, while looking at the board. "In sixteen movements?"</p>
<p>Trixie laughs. She has the nerve to laugh! "You said we were slow!"</p>
<p>Dan snorts, shaking his head from side to side, barely able to believe it. "Sixteen movements, Holy shit!"</p>
<p>"Language, Mr. Espinoza!" Ella scolds him, entering the room, followed by Lucifer - after giving Dan a scathing look.</p>
<p>The detective's cheeks are pink when he apologizes in a low voice. Trixie only laughs, talking about how she managed to beat the blonde man, to Dan's shame and Lucifer's pride.</p>
<p>"We can play again! won’t go easy! This time I'm going to win!" Dan points to the board with determination.</p>
<p>She lets out a lively giggle, putting each piece in its place again.</p>
<p>"If  the Urchin does that, we'll be here all day," Lucifer jokes.</p>
<p>"Haha, I'm laughing my head off," Dan says sarcastically.</p>
<p>"But before you start..." Lucifer pauses, approaching them both and placing two glasses full of apple juice in front of them. "We will play the game of truth!"</p>
<p>She looks at Dan, then Ella, at the glasses and finishes at Lucifer. Dan gives him an accusatory look; he just responds by crossing his arms.</p>
<p>"I've never played that game," she comments innocently.</p>
<p>The detective's lips form a thin line. Lucifer remains expectant, unusually quiet beside them.</p>
<p>He's up to something. Dan knows him well enough to expect it.</p>
<p>The look of complicity in the eyes of the woman only affirm what Dan already knows. She’s agreeing with it. Dan sighs. He just hopes this isn't another stupid game, or something worse.</p>
<p>Lucifer's lips open, and she whispers "It's a spy game."</p>
<p>Dan gives him an accusatory look; he just responds by folding his arms.</p>
<p>"Only a trained spy can take this special juice." Ellay says. "Whoever drinks it can't lie."</p>
<p>Trixie's eyes are large, amazed. "Never?"</p>
<p>Lucifer laughs. "No, just for a short period of time."</p>
<p>"You can decide what you want to take, honey. Are you ready to be a complete spy?" Ella asks her.</p>
<p>Trixie nods vigorously.</p>
<p>"What do you prefer?"</p>
<p>"Special juice."</p>
<p>"For what reason?" Lucifer offers.</p>
<p>"The truth will set you free."</p>
<p>This time the question comes from Dan's lips. "Who says that?"</p>
<p>"Mommy," Trixie answers, shrugging her shoulders. She drinks the juice in three largegulps, and the three adults smile.</p>
<p>Dan shakes his head from side to side before Lucifer's gaze.</p>
<p>"I want normal juice; I'm not ready to be a complete spy."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The game restarts. This time, Dan's eyes are similar to a hawk’s on the board.</p>
<p>Trixie seems unconcerned with each movement, but thinks carefully before moving any piece.</p>
<p>"I found out that your mom is an police officer, like me." Dan begins the conversation, ending the silence that settled over the room.</p>
<p>Trixie's eyebrows are knitted together. "But you're a Detective!"</p>
<p>Dan smiles while he nods.</p>
<p>"What kind of police is she?" Dan asks.</p>
<p>"A good one."</p>
<p>"Good, ah?" Dan weighs the weight of her words. "So if I get in trouble, can I see her?"</p>
<p>She stops the movement of her pawn, looking at him, horrified. She shakes her head several times before speaking. "She works with people who fall asleep and can no longer wake up," and feeling that Dan needs to say more, he goes on. "She tells the mummy and daddy why the people can't wake up so the family aren't sad anymore. Then she catches the bad people."</p>
<p>Lucifer, from his own seat, looks positively proud.</p>
<p>"Why can't people wake up, Urchin?"</p>
<p>She thinks for a second then responds. "Sometimes because they have accidents or they're very injured."</p>
<p>Dan, impressed, moves his tower, and three people sigh at that move. He has left his queen unprepared for the stalking white bishop.</p>
<p>Two subsequent moves bring Dan his second defeat.</p>
<p>Dan looks slightly bewildered and genuinely dejected when his head rests against the chessboard.</p>
<p>The quiet pats on his back make him meet Trixie's friendly smile. "You'll do better, you just have to practice, Dan."</p>
<p>His hand is intertwined with her small hand in a gentle grip. "You were an incredible opponent."</p>
<p>"You too." </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"My mom and I read before bed. The Wizard of Oz is a new one."</p>
<p>Trixie's response comes after she has finished coloring the mythological centaur. Beside her, the devil rests his elbows on the table, fixing his gaze on the child.</p>
<p>Lucifer is really interested in every phrase the child says.</p>
<p>"And what did you think?"</p>
<p>Dan watches the exchange with amazement without daring to say anything.</p>
<p>"Cool"</p>
<p>Lucifer laughs, he really does. "Tell me more?"</p>
<p>"We also put together puzzles, play monopoly" Trixie says cheerfully. "Mommy likes to watch very old movies, that have no color and the silly ones too; Glee, and Mr. Bean; and she's the best one to play hide and seek with."</p>
<p>"When was the last time you played?"</p>
<p>"We're still playing."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Lucifer asks, furrowing his brows.</p>
<p>Trixie covers her face, letting out a groan. "I'm not supposed to say that."</p>
<p>The devil is about to reply, Dan knows, but Ella's imperceptible gesture makes Lucifer stop.</p>
<p>"Your teacher has praised your drawings, honey," Ella comments, going through the next page of the newspaper. "I brought them along to show Lucifer and Dan."</p>
<p>Trixie nods, changing colors to paint jellyfish and the frozen Greek soldier who tried to fight against her.</p>
<p>Dan considers discussing with Lucifer what type of coloring book is ideal for a five-year-old girl. Clearly, one with a mythological monster isn't.</p>
<p> "Can you explain your drawings?" Lucifer asks. He's watching Trixie closely.</p>
<p>It takes a moment for Dan's brain to process what's just happens. A few moments, actually.</p>
<p>Lucifer is using his civilian consultor voice. The voice he uses when questioning witnesses.</p>
<p>The voice that comes with the punishing part of his brain.</p>
<p>Avoice he’s never used with Beatrice.</p>
<p>If Ella realizes it, she doesn't say anything. She leaves the drawings in the hands of Lucifer and continues quietly reading the newspaper.</p>
<p>At least, that’s what she tries to portray. Dan notices how her quickly her eyes move between the newspaper and the child. Never missing a single word that comes from her lips - or the slightest gesture.</p>
<p>He smiles, then changes his seat to see the child's drawings and hear her response. He sits on the other side of Lucifer.</p>
<p>"Miss Emily, she asked us to draw our friends."</p>
<p>Five figures appear on the white sheet of paper: Grace, Candy, Ella, Dan and Maze.</p>
<p>"And what have you learned from your friends? Like Candy? "Lucifer attacks again.</p>
<p>"It doesn't matter if you're an exotic dancer in a filthy bar in Puerto Rico, married to a drug mule, - she tilts her head back, considering - "eventually everything will be better if you're able to be strong and follow your dreams."</p>
<p>Dan burst into giggles.</p>
<p>Lucifer scans, like Dan, the figure of Maze, who is she's wearing a black suit and a pair of knives in her hands.</p>
<p>"Do you know what Maze works with, Urchin?"</p>
<p>"It's classified."</p>
<p>"Do you consider her your friend?"</p>
<p>Oh, Mazikeen will have a field day with that question!</p>
<p>Trixie’s eyes shine fleetingly when she speaks. "Yes, but before, I was afraid."</p>
<p>Both adults raise one eyebrow, clearly surprised at his intelligent admission.</p>
<p>Dan confronts her. "Why?"</p>
<p>"She dresses like my Daddy's friends."</p>
<p>"You didn't like your Dad's friends?" It isn't a question, it's simply a statement that Lucifer makes.</p>
<p>Trixie's mouth opens. A small frown looks for her fractions; she didn't like them. That is more than obvious. Her eyes play between the colors and her drawing. "I didn't like playing with them." she whispers under her breath.</p>
<p>Dan wants to say something, but Lucifer's serious grimace prevents him from doing it. There is something implicit there, something much darker.</p>
<p>Dan looks at him, confused. His hands are quick to play with the little girl's hair sitting next to him. The question “What was the game?” is on his lips when Trixie continues.</p>
<p>"I had to choose the right candy."</p>
<p>Lucifer's jaw tightens, but he still asks "What happened if you chose the wrong one?"</p>
<p>"I would fall asleep forever," the little one responds with such innocence that Dan's heart shrinks from it. There is much more behind this simple game. There is something unsaid, but it horrifies him so much when he starts thinking about it that he isn't capable.</p>
<p>After a while, Trixie talks again. "That's what Dddy used to say, he... played with his friends who could scream for longer, but Daddy always lost. They... they screamed for days."</p>
<p>Lucifer's face is a deep mask. He wants to do something silly or impulsive like shoot the wall.</p>
<p>Ella knows it.</p>
<p>And she would hate it if he did it in Trixie's presence.</p>
<p>She doesn't like the way the conversation is going, so she cuts it short.</p>
<p>"Let's see your other drawings." Her voice is melodic, practiced for uncomfortable moments, moments like these.</p>
<p>Trixie, who has remainedcarelessly lost in her colorful world, nods cheerfully.</p>
<p>The child talks about her dog, her old turtle, her position in her soccer games; pointing to each drawing for ten minutes before her smile falls.</p>
<p>A clear indication that she doesn't want to continue talking.</p>
<p>"What about this?" Lucifer continues.</p>
<p>"It's a man opening the door."</p>
<p>Dan watches with curious eyes as Trixie takes a few steps forward, still looking at the drawing. "He's a seeker; he's found the people who were hiding."</p>
<p>"And that scares you?" Lucifer asks carefully, not daring to scream. Not wanting his temper to scare the child.</p>
<p>Trixie's hands cling to the colors with force, she looks down and nods.</p>
<p>It takes a minute before the next question comes from Lucifer's lips.</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"It's the end of the game," she frowns. "If he gets us, he wins."</p>
<p>"Who?"</p>
<p>One of the drawings wrinkles in his hands. "The bad man. My Daddy."</p>
<p>"Do you remember him?"</p>
<p>The child doesn't respond. Lucifer tries again. "Do you remember him?"</p>
<p>"Urchin" - the tone of his voice drops dangerously, he's at a breaking point - "Do you remember him?"</p>
<p>"Beatrice!" Lucifer clenches his jaw. Dan sucks in a deep breath.</p>
<p>"He was a painter," Trixie's hands tremble slightly, "he always had red paint on his hands and on his shirt."</p>
<p>"Do you remember how he looks?"</p>
<p>She shakes her head without saying a word.</p>
<p>"Did he hurt you?"</p>
<p>A part of Dan had already suspected it, but the question still makes a dent in his chest.</p>
<p>Ella rises from her seat; her angry face screams. "When she hit you, honey?"</p>
<p>The child doesn't respond, just trembles in her seat. She looked positively wounded.</p>
<p>"Chloe?" Lucifer has that maniac look that terrifies Dan. "He hurt your Mommy?"</p>
<p>The detective rushes to stop him. The child can't stand it anymore; and Lucifer, in his eagerness to get the truth, isn't seeing her.</p>
<p>But it's stopped by the perplexed and annoyed expression of the woman on the edge of the door.</p>
<p>At her side, Candy looks horrified at the exchange.</p>
<p>Chloe took on an air of exhaustion, watching Lucifer with a baffled expression. “Wh-- What? ... what the bloody hell’d you think you’re doing?"</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>What will Chloe's reaction be?<br/>What will your dark past be?<br/>And what did Trixie's father do to them to be called the bad man?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. A PAINFUL PAST</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back.  It's me posting again.<br/>I am incredibly happy that this story has exceeded 200 comments.<br/>That's great!! = D<br/>Thanks to all of you for that. And for the love in each comment.<br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite. <br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I have a couple of announcements to make:<br/>1.	The next chapter of my story Friday I'm In Love is being edited by my beta, I still await your corrections for those people who have asked me about it. (Probably this week)<br/>2.	This is the darkest chapter I've ever written, the facts cited are fiction, they are not situations to imitate or recreate. They are destructive and violent behaviors.<br/>3.	The classification of this story has changed in this chapter. Makes references to situations that are not explicit, but violent. They have been warned.<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe took on an air of exhaustion, watching Lucifer with a baffled expression. “Wh-- What? For... what the bloody hell’d you think you’re doing?"</p>
<p>It's the first time in years that Dan sees Lucifer's mouth open and close.</p>
<p>The little chestnut-haired child enters the floor. Her eyes go over each face of the people present there. Lucifer can feel the protective vibration emanating from Chloe to her daughter. She glares daggers at Lucifer, but when she turns to the urchin, her voice is full of tenderness.</p>
<p>"Hey, monkey, did you have fun today?"</p>
<p>Trixie's slightly terrified expression changes rapidly. She runs her hands through her hair, brushing it briefly as she genuinely smiles.</p>
<p>"A lot! I played chess with Dan and I beat him!" she declares triumphantly, raising two of her fingers to emphasize the number of times she beat him. "We play spies too, the game of truth," Trixie says, smiling innocently, and Dan feels the urge to hide when Chloe's eyes scan the drawings scattered on the table.</p>
<p>"The game of truth?" Chloe repeats the words slowly, clearly understanding what the game was about. "Why don’t you put your stuff away and let's eat something delicious?" she suggests with a smile, kneeling to her height and depositing a kiss on her hair.</p>
<p>Trixie's eyes flicker to Lucifer, then to her mother when she asks "You're not upset?"</p>
<p>She smiles, not quite convincingly at all. "Never, with you."</p>
<p>Trixie bites her lips, chewing from one side to the other. "But I told the truth about the bad man and the hidden ones," she whispers, lowering her head. "I told them the secret."</p>
<p>Chloe's fingers gently raises Trixie's chin so she can look at her. "It's okay to tell the truth, monkey." There's a pause, while she looks at the three of them. "Especially if you trust them."</p>
<p>The girl nods. "I trust Luci, Dan and Ella," she shrugs. "Plus, Luci is not that bad for bathing!"</p>
<p>Chloe's eyes open at that, but she remains silent.</p>
<p>However, feeling the tension in the other people who occupy the room, Candy intervenes. "Trix, babe we can bake one of my famous cakes, and then eat it with your mommy, would you like that?"</p>
<p>The girl nods enthusiastically.</p>
<p>The woman smiles. "Then let's go shopping! Let the adults talk for a while."</p>
<p>Trixie looks at her mother and she nods, so she takes her things and leaves, her hand clapsed happily with Candy.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Just when the door closes with a click, Chloe turns to face Lucifer.</p>
<p>"Again?" The words come out hard, hurt. "I give you my trust, Lucifer, and how do you pay me?" She snorts softly, throwing her purse onto the nearest chair. "Playing with my daugher's mind? Deceiving her to tell you things?"</p>
<p>Lucifer looks completely hurt by the accusation. "I was not playing with her mind, Chloe."</p>
<p>She looks at him accusingly. "No? Then what do you call the 'Game of Truth?’" she quotes, using her fingers.</p>
<p>"Deductive reasoning and emphasis on mental agility."</p>
<p>"Damn liar!"</p>
<p>"Me? I'm not the person who cheats on her daugther, playing hide and seek in all cities!"</p>
<p>Dan opens his mouth, but it is Ella who makes a horrified sound at that statement. Dan shoots his friend the 'not good' look.</p>
<p>Chloe's expression breaks. It's no longer the strong wall that appeared minutes ago. She's broken, fragile glass, scattering into pieces.</p>
<p>Lucifer achieved this with a single sentence.</p>
<p>Lucifer sess this, so he unthinkingly <sup>approaches</sup> her, taking her arm.</p>
<p> “Don’t touch me!” she yells.</p>
<p>Lucifer stiffens, and immediately, his arms fall to his sides. Chloe looks up at him. She sees the hurt in his face for just a second - before his face freezes into a cold mask.</p>
<p>“Forgive me. I didn’t realise my touch was so abhorrent to you,” he says coldly.</p>
<p>"You... say the most horrible things!" she spits, as a lonely tear escapes her eyes.</p>
<p>He does his best not to feel guilty. But at this moment, he feels really bad.</p>
<p>He is reminded the human phrase: "You win some, you lose some." He wonders if he’s lost Chloe's trust. The idea hurts more than it should.</p>
<p>The words come from his lips alone, trying to undo his previous actions. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't” -</p>
<p> “You have no right! —”</p>
<p>He nods at her unspoken words. He didn't have the right to delve into the disaster that was her past, searching for the bad man who terrifies the urchin more than he can tolerate. He shouldn't, but he wants to. He wants to understand, help them, protect them. "I can't say that I understand it yet, and perhaps it's beyond my grasp. "</p>
<p>"We were worried about you. We just wanted to know what happened to you, Chlo." It's Ella who explains quietly.</p>
<p>The blonde-haired woman sighs.</p>
<p>"It was me who saw Beatrice's scars when I was bathing her. It was me who wanted to understand everything."</p>
<p>"So... you use your mojo with her, like you do with everyone?" Chloe claims him.</p>
<p>"No," Lucifer sighs. "I would never do that to her. I promised her I would protect her, protect you, and I want to do that, but I need to know the truth, know who I'm facing."</p>
<p>Chloe runs her hands repeatedly over her face. Closes her eyes and swallows deeply. The decision to reveal her past can only be hers.</p>
<p>It's to decide whether to continue living between nightmares, or to cautiously approach the light, be rid of its world of shadows to find peace.</p>
<p>Let go of her past.</p>
<p>She nods, for her own peace of mind; for Trixie's safety.</p>
<p>It's time to be brave and to face her demons.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"The reality is that it doesn't start like this." There is a pause that tries to fill the silence that has fallen over the room. "With a blow."</p>
<p>Her voice is much lower than she would have liked but fatigue has taken over her body, and the basic instinct to run away has been overcome by wanting to fight her demons, freeing herself from the burden that burns daily.</p>
<p>"If that were the case, nobody would be with a violent man." And when she says the last word, her body instantly moves for a bit of comfort on the thin fabric that covers the chair.</p>
<p>Dan's gaze is fixed on her. His eyes are compassionate, kind. He encourages her to continue.</p>
<p>"On the contrary, there appears in your life a man who looks at you with sweetness and fun, who wants to help you, is intelligent." There is a pause and her gaze quickly stops at Lucifer, who remains immutable, far away from her. Then she blinks and keeps going. "So smart that he makes you feel silly at times with his witty words and even more complex jokes, he is mysterious, charismatic and kind, he can even be considered tender. He is everything you've always wanted, and you ask yourself how someone as handsome as he could look at you, a single woman, not too graceful, with clumsy social skills. "</p>
<p>"Chlo..." her faithful friend starts, but she waves her hand, discarding the attempt to make her feel better.</p>
<p>"You end up falling in love with a charming man, who makes you feel like the center of the universe, and when he asks you to move out of town, leaving everything you know behind, you do it without hesitation, because you love him and trust him."</p>
<p>Her mind automatically invokes the memory that she so desperately wants to forget.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Flashback</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her eyes flutter open, not daring to believe her luck. A smile floods her face when she sees the landscape in front of her. The leafy trees surround it, the deep greens mix with much lighter tones, while the branches move with the wind.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They make her remember simpler times, much happier than she lived in the company of her parents. But that isn't what takes her breath away; it's the majesty of the house that extends into the land.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The house with white panels, large windows and crimson-red door.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The house surrounded by freshly-cut grass, white daffodils and wildflowers.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The house she’d always dreamed of.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"How?" she asks in surprise. Her beloved is new to the world of the telecommunications industry, his company is new enough, no way would he buy something like that!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He smiles as if holding the secrets of the universe in his palm. He approaches her and places a tender kiss on her cheek. "I got a credit," he says, smiling. "A king and his queen must live in a proper kingdom." Another kiss is deposited on her cheek. "Otherwise their subjects will not trust in royal plans," he points out with a funny smile and an exaggerated gesture.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"But..." she tries to reply, but she's stopped by his fingers at the corner of her mouth.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I've promised you a happily ever after, Chloe, and this is me getting it."</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Dan makes a too-polite sound, asking her to return to reality, and she does it.</p>
<p>"He's contacts, and suddenly you are the new secretary in a police station, you are even allowed to ask all the questions you want, and that excites you because at some point in your childhood you wanted to be a police officer. You live and work in a small town in the middle of nowhere. You live a quiet year, in a bubble, a mirage of happiness."</p>
<p>Lucifer has taken a step closer. However, his eyes are anywhere but in her.</p>
<p>"He asks you to change, not to wear a skirt all the time and it seems like a tender request. You think he’s protecting you, because you work in a world dominated by men."</p>
<p>She bites her lips and she continues. "Then his mood becomes changeable. He shouts at other people easily, but you think that since his company is new, the stress is affecting him and you try to be there for him, to support him." The first tear falls on her cheek but she erases it with an easy, practiced gesture. "And then it happens. He raises his voice. He doesn't scream; he just emits a sound loud enough to be heard over your own voice. You let it go, and then it happens again."</p>
<p>Her lips tremble when she speaks, but no one says anything. She appreciates the gesture.</p>
<p>"He does it almost daily, but he apologizes instantly. He smiles, he kisses you and you just let him in." Another lost tear runs down her cheek. She watches Lucifer's hands squeeze visibly. His fists turn white before he's able to open his hand again. "He brings you flowers, candles, perfumes and clothes. He even cooks for you a couple of times. He calls them special occasions," Chloe says, quoting two quotes with her fingers. "And everything seems to return to false normality. Your doubts fade away and you feel lucky again."</p>
<p>Another memory comes back to her.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Flashback 2</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You feel good?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yes," murmurs Chloe. "Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What are you thinking, Chloe?" he asks, sitting next to her, a warm smile spread over his features. His hands play with the blanket that covers the legs of the woman.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don't know," she whispers. "What are you thinking?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"That you're the most tasty thing on the menu tonight."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Chloe's smile grows. The blanket falls to the floor while his soft hands run over her shoulders to her neck. Long fingers tangle in her hair, and Chloe discovers she's unable to stop him. She doesn't want to. Her heart beats quickly when she feels the press of his lips on hers.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He envelops her, traps her in his world, in his web. There is a connection between them - strong, impossible to leave.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When he separates from her, he looks into her eyes. There is a vulnerability about Chloe that he finds irresistible. She's fragile, easy to break and he wants to do it. Test her limits.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He smiles like a wolf when he says "Tell me, tell me what you want."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Y-you." Chloe clears her throat. "You... more than anything," she adds softly.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Good girl," he smiles, stripping her of her clothes. "You are mine, Chloe, always and forever."</em>
</p>
<p>"Chloe!"</p>
<p>Ella’s voice brings her to reality.</p>
<p>She nods, swallowing the lump in her throat.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"But one day, you find him arguing with a neighbor. His expression is so full of hate that you're surprised to see the emotion in his eyes. He looks like another person when he hits the man again and again, so hard that he’s sent to hospital. You are terrified that he laughs at what happened, then embraces you gently. It terrifies you to think that he's another person and not the tender, funny and intelligent man that you fell in love with; so you make up excuses for his violent act, calm your mind and silence your worries. That works for a few months. "</p>
<p> Chloe’s eyes shine when she speaks this time. "But then, something else occupies your mind, something much more important. You feel inevitably alone, sitting on the cold floor of a bathroom when you find out you're pregnant. Your first instinct is to cry, to cry for the new life created; to cry because you fear losing your work because your studies must stop; you're afraid of his reaction when he finds out; and finally, you feel happy, inevitably happy, to think that you will have a child from the person you love most in the world."</p>
<p>Tears run when her eyes close. The warm touch of Dan's hand makes her want to cower in a corner. Run away and hide in the dark. His touch is light, soft, generous on her hand. His hands are rough, a permanent reminder of his work, but they feel like cotton when they touch her skin with sweetness.</p>
<p>"You don't have to continue if you don't want to, Chloe," he says, but she automatically shakes her head. Her memories have been her prison for years - she has begun; she must end. Or she'll be forever trapped in the world of nightmares.</p>
<p>She opens her eyes slowly. Dan squeezes her hand and stays by her side. The constant heat of his skin reminds him of Trixie's touch; soft, kind, innocent.</p>
<p>She must do this for them. She trusts the people in the room, so she continues.</p>
<p>"When you get home with red, watery eyes, he looks at you intently. He instantly knows. His expression is illegible, but you want to say something. You almost want to apologize, as if it were a mistake. He raises his arms and embraces you as if life were going away without you, kisses you again and again while his laughter fills the room. His eyes have that special glow when he promises you that everything will be fine, and you deluded him. You trust in him fully. "</p>
<p>Ella changes her seat. Now she sits next to Chloe and imitates Dan's gesture by touching her, with much less sweetness that him, but with much more affection.</p>
<p>"One Sunday morning, you wake up to the smell of stuffed tortillas and a kiss on the cheek. You are surprised to find out that one of his gifts is painting; he's really good with the mixture of colors. So when he paints in his daugther's room a zoo full of exotic animals, you cry. He smiles at you and says that his heir will only have the best, that she will be the smartest child you'll ever meet, the kindest, the most loved. You almost feel like in a dream. One you do not want to wake up from."</p>
<p>There is a pause, where she takes a deep breath.</p>
<p>"The days turn into weeks, then months. It's a warm day when the leaves fall from the trees, when Trixie arrives. She's beautiful, perfect. She's everything you ever wanted. His father doesn't let go for a minute, looks on with a kind smile. His eyes have a different brightness, and your heart contracts at the scene. Nothing could go wrong, that's what you think. Trixie begins to grow. You marvel at each new gesture, everything she achieves. But work calls again and you have to go back. Nadia, the shy girl who speaks little in the town, becomes your daugther’s nanny. She’s young, but kind. She's efficient, and a ghost in the eyes of all."</p>
<p>Chloe gets up in one movement, Fear runs over her skin like an intoxicating poison. Guilt gnaws inside her for being unable to see the things that were before her eyes on so many occasions. If she were run before.</p>
<p>What would have happened? Trixie would never have known pain. She would be a completely different child - without scars, without nightmares that disturb her precious dreams. She sighs. She can't do anything to avoid the past, so she stays silent for a few minutes; and when she sits down again, the comforting touch of both is back.</p>
<p>"You live in a routine that is based on work, taking care of your family, and sleeping. You're so tired that the simple details escape you. You don't notice the increase in red color splattered on your husband's clothes, the strange men who seem to live in the basement of your house; you don't see the bruises on the babysitter’s skin or the changes in the expressions of the man who is everything to you." She shakes her head hard, biting her lips. "No; you realize much too late."</p>
<p>"Chloe," Dan says, turning his attention towards the woman again. Something tugs in his chest when she lifts her shadowed gaze towards his, and he curses himself for not having seen the signs before now. How many domestic violence cases have they worked over the last decade? How many victims and battered wives had Lucifer and he questioned, all of them having that same hollow look in their eyes that Chloe Decker has?</p>
<p>Lucifer’s piercing dark eyes are turbulent as they look her over, and even from across the room Dan can see that he is barely holding himself together. Not that Dan can blame him-it isn't every day you learn that your little detective’s picture-perfect life is nothing but a lie.</p>
<p>His curls stick up in disarray. His jaw is clenched tight, his knuckles white as they grip his suit, and Dan know his eyes are shining with tears Lucifer refuses to cry. Dan knows Lucifer Morningstar better than anyone. He know his moods and his quirks, and he know that in the small room, he is wrestling with an anger Dan'd rarely been witness to.</p>
<p>"You fool yourself for days, until you get home from work and find the kitchen soaked with blood and a man lying on the floor, unconscious." From her vision, she sees Lucifer's head turn towards her, and she forces her gaze to stay focused on her lap.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Flashback 3</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Red.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It is all she can see. It's everywhere.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>On the floor, on the walls... no matter where she looks, all she sees is glistening red.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her hands tremble as she watches the scene. The man - she knows him. William Andrews from the local accounting office. A good man, according to the comments in town. A family man, loyal, who attends church every Sunday.</em>
</p>
<p> <em>A man whose face is disfigured and soaked in blood. A man who still breathes; but in a few minutes will not.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Her hands tremble when she dials the emergency number. Her voice is a breathless whisper as she relates the event.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her feet move awkwardly in anticipation of the paramedics, as she tries to determine if the blood comes only from the wounds on his face.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>However, his singing voice stops his actions.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Well, hello, honey!"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She turns slowly to face him with one hand on her hip. Her stare goes from accusatory to terrified in seconds.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His white shirt is a canvas painted red, like his black jacket. But he doesn't seem to mind, stoically standing in the center of the kitchen.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His deep blue eyes watch her closely, while his right hand cleans the blood that runs down his cheek with dexterity.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She doesn't move. She can't. Her mouth opens and closes without saying a word.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Then he smiles, amusingly, like a child in a candy store.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Takes one step, then another, and whispers, barely audible.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I wanted to burst some partition and I had an incredible desire," he ends, laughing.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Chloe stoops in prayer, examining Marcus's features and avoiding his eyes.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Did you feel like hitting him?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He takes another step. His eyes never leave her body. She knows he's a hunter, trapping his prey.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>But she's firm, so she asks again. "Did you feel like hitting him?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He laughs. The sound echoes in the silent room, and his answer comes with a shrug.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She takes a cautious step backwards. In that moment his face falls, his eyes open in horror - there is a second of blinking pain. As if he doesn’t understand why she wants to run away from him. He plunges his hand into the pocket of his tailored suit.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What is that?"</em>
</p>
<p><em>Marcus puts his finger to his lips and takes a step forward. </em> <em>"A gift, of course."</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Chloe looks at the silver package with black ribbon and white edges. It's a jewelry box. One with new tendrils if she has to find out. She swallows, without daring to touch the box he offers her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Do you think I'm dangerous?"</em>
</p>
<p><em>Chloe's lips lift when she responds. </em> <em>"I know you are."</em></p>
<p>
  <em>And it's the truth. She can't deny it anymore. Not with the unconscious man in their kitchen as fundamental proof.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>But he doesn't care. He closes the space between them and nods.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His hands rest firmly on each side of her shoulders. He leans forward slightly, enough so that his lips brush hers. Chloe feels her nerves rise in the face of danger. Before the closeness of the only person who has ever loved her deeply.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He smiles, kissing her lips with a tenderness that counteract his previous acts.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I'm going to walk my mind." The words come almost like a whistle against her mouth. "Remember, always and forever." And with that, he's gone.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Your neighbor recovers, and never presses charges. Nobody says a single word about what happened. Everything is normal enough in the eyes of each person."</p>
<p>Her voice trembles but after a pausem it comes out freely. "Three months later, he comes back, on a Saturday while you play with your one-and-a-half year-old child. Trixie´s eyes open. She laughs, runs, tripping over her steps to hold on to the man standing in the center of the kitchen. He lifts Trixie up, but his gaze is something you cant understand. Something there is different."</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Flashback 4</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"No warm hug for your lost husband?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She huffs.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You beat a good man until he was knocked unconscious in my kitchen. It was only fair that you pay for it." She accuses him without daring to look at him, then prepares to pick up the toys scattered on the floor.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He's unusually quiet, a clear contrast with his noisy footsteps on the ground.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I was on a spiritual journey, and I came back as a new man," he declares with self-sufficiency as he turns around with Trixie in his hands.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Mr. Adams has recovered well, no thanks to you. By the way, he could have died."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He makes a funny gesture that has Trixie laughing. For all the seriousness of the conversation, Chloe sighs.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You leave a man almost dead in the kitchen, and you come back three months later without explanation," she complains, folding her arms. Her voice rises visibly, the anguish running through her pores becomes present. "You...” There's a pause, one where she's sure she'll sob, but she doesn't."You could have killed him! He was in intensive care for months! You were lucky he didn't file charges against you!"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I knew he was alive, Chloe, don't be so upset about that." He has the audacity to shrug his shoulders. "He sought his own punishment. You don't touch the fire unless you want to burn yourself, my dear," he says with one of those lovely smiles.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A smile that has her stomach turning into a knot. "You're a cruel man. I don't want you here."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He sighs, puts a hand to his chest with exaggerated drama.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"It hurts me to hear that, it hurts me horrifically. And I sincerely believe that it's a very unfair measure."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Go away, Marcus, please!"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He dismisses her words. His hands cling to the smiling little girl. He raises her up again and the girl emits a funny grunt.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Chloe can only watch without saying a word. A slightly bittersweet sensation takes over her body when he sees the smile that spreads over his features as he plays with his daughter.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Seconds pass before he deposits Trixie again on the ground and heads towards her.</em>
</p>
<p><em>"I realized how much I missed you," he begins to say. His beautiful eyes watch her with obvious agony. "These months allowed me to appreciate what I've always had within reach of my hands, and I don't want to lose you over a stupid deed." He squeezes his hands into clenched fists, his gaze slides to the floor. She sees him take a deep breath, then he gives her a watery smile. "The truth is, Chloe, I got carried away by the anger I felt at that moment. I couldn’t see anything else, and I'm sorry I scared you - I'm so sorry!" he lets out under his breath. </em> <em>"You're the only good thing in my life - you're my light! From the first moment, you have been perfect before my eyes. You’ve been my sweetheart, we’ve had fun moments, and you believed in me in a way that no-one else has ever done."</em></p>
<p>
  <em>He smiles. And oh, God. That smile is so simple, so sweet that it makes her think that the man she fell in love with is back.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She looks at him. His heart thunders in his chest. "You make me want to be a better person. Please forgive me!"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Tears now run down her cheeks. They are salty and painful, and full of emotion.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I enjoy our moments together, our talks. They clear my mind, and you know what I'm talking about, even when nobody else does. Funny, isn't it?" he says, wrinkling his nose in a gesture that is just him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She lets out a choppy sound.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What is it?" he asks anxiously. A weird trait in him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"We are so different, I doubt we can be less equal."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Marcus smiles. Not with his mouth, but with his eyes. This was something Chloe had come to recognize early. "Opposites attract, I suppose."</em>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>"I don't…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He puts a hand to his chest, sighing dramatically. "I'll go to therapy, if that's what you want; anger management for dummies." He laughs. "I can live in a hotel, just let me see my daughter. We’ll have some dates, like in the old days, so you can see how much I've changed," he says with emphasis and giving her his best puppy-dog face. "Please, Chloe. Do it for our child, for us. We are family."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Mom!" her daughert calls from the ground. Her intense eyes look to her for attention. Her smile is the engine of her life. Chloe would do everything for her, to see her happy, even if it means giving Marcus a new opportunity.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Chloe picks her up from the ground and embraces her with tenderness. The girl laughs.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Chloe turns to Marcus. His eyes are full of complicity when they look at her. He smiles before she can speak.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Always and forever."</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The air is charged with such tension that nobody dares to say anything, as if silence could fill the scattered voids. Dan looks at Ella, who observes her friend's gestures like a falcon. She gently squeezes Chloe´s hand, then her shoulder, in a clear sign of comfort.</p>
<p>Then his gaze falls on Lucifer, whose unusually calm steps pace the room. His cerulean eyes are a sea full of fury, a promise of revenge that will soon arrive. His face is stoic, but the doctor knows that it's the calm before the storm; the bomb marching with tick-tocks towards the point of explosion.</p>
<p>He's a man of deep emotions when they touch those he appreciates. The list is slightly short, but in the current year, it has spread to two people: Trixie and her intelligent mother. Dan suspects that his feelings for the blonde woman are much stronger than what he saw earlier, but due to the broken expression in Lucifer's eyes, there is something he can't help but show. Something bigger than admiration and appreciation in general.</p>
<p>But then Chloe continues her story, and Dan feels much more admiration for the woman, who is brave enough to show them the broken parts of her life.</p>
<p>"I should have run as far as possible at that moment, but I was naive, silly and in love with him. I really believed that our little family could be safe; that he would change - for our girl, for our connection."</p>
<p>Lucifer barks out an angry noise, attracting the attention of those present, but he says nothing.</p>
<p>"He goes to therapy for months. Occasionally, he brings presents for Trixie. He buys nice things, everything is going well, so you let him go home." Chloe's gaze blurs with tears, watching her friends listening to her words. "He runs his company from home, so he can help with Trixie's care. He seems excited about each new facet of his daughter; he wants to make up for the time he missed.”</p>
<p>A sob escapes her lips before she can speak again.</p>
<p>"But… the first time happened a month later," Chloe continues quietly. "You tip the pizza guy too much and he… grabs you."</p>
<p>She clenches her fingers around her knee to keep her hand from tracing her upper arm, still so easily able to feel the bite of Marcus's fingers as they dug into her skin. "It was always things like that. Grabbing or pushing. Even pinching, sometimes. It didn't start getting worse...until later. One day, he raises his voice, and you feel like you’re in a horror movie. You creep down the steps, facing the villain, and you end up going to the darkest place where he hits you for the first time. Then he hits you a second time…”</p>
<p>"Why didn't you find help, go to the police, Chloe?" Dan asks quietly.</p>
<p>Chloe sighes, shaking her head. "I don't know," she whispers. "I just...hoped it would stop. I hoped he would stop, and…when he didn't, I was just afraid that no one would believe me. He was kind, charismatic; he was an intimate friend of the Police, he’d won the hearts of everyone in town, and despite the violent incident with Williams, he was still the prodigal son of the place. His company had grown so much that most townspeople worked for him. He had them up his sleeves."</p>
<p>Chloe sighs. "I was a nobody. I only had two real friends; Nadia and an apprentice to DJ named Jeff. We worked together a couple of times."</p>
<p>She hears the sound of indignation from Ella's lips.</p>
<p>"Your friend, Jeff," Ella begins, walking into the room. "He knew? About...everything?"</p>
<p>Chloe looks up at her, shaking her head. "I told him I fell down."</p>
<p>Ella nodds. "So there were no witnesses to his abuse?"</p>
<p>Chloe shake her head, and she frowns.</p>
<p>"No one else knew about it?"</p>
<p>When Chloe shook her head again, slowly, Ella nodds. "What about hospital records? Incident reports?"</p>
<p>"No," Chloe says quietly. "I didn't...I couldn't let anyone know, so I just...made up accidents or falls or... sometimes, when Marcus would calm down, he'd apologize and... patch me up himself."</p>
<p>Lucifer's chair squeaks as he leans forward, clasping his hands together as he levels his gaze with hers. "When did it start to escalate, Chloe?" This is his first question since Chloe started telling her story; his voice quiet but authoritative.</p>
<p>She opens her mouth, but he silences her words.</p>
<p>"I don't want to hear the second person anymore. I want to hear from you. "</p>
<p>Chloe dropps her gaze to her lap. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Her fingers slip down the side of her neck and rests on her lap again; her nails scraping absently at her skin. Her mind flashes back to memories that she wishes would just fade away and disappear. But they rise, screaming, to the surface.</p>
<p>"One night, I arrived home from a particularly long shift. I went to find Trixie in her room, but she wasn’t not there. I looked for her all over the house, but I couldn’t find her. I was desperate. Then I heard her screams, her sobs, coming from the basement. Trixie was at the beginning of the stairs, surrounded by small fragments of glass. Her torso was naked and I could see the small cuts on her back. She was crying loudly. I hurried over and took her in my arms. I was very scared, and she was uncontrollable. Marcus was right across the room, watching us carefully. There was a giant smile on his face when he said that his daughter had been brave to go downstairs in the dark to find the glass staff that his father had pointed out to her. Marcus said her steps were too unstable - Trixie tripped, and the object broke, leaving small pieces in her skin. Marcus called her a winner. He said Trixie would have scars that would show her...”</p>
<p>There is a sob, then another. Dan's arms are around her, hugging her fondly.</p>
<p>It's too long before she can continue.</p>
<p>She wipes her tears with both hands. "I remember cleaning her wounds, making sure there were no traces of glass on her skin. I decided to take her to Accident &amp; Emergency. But Marcus objected; he said the idea was stupid. He was so angry," she whispers, her voice cracking. "He screamed and then he grabbed me. I tried to push him away, then he hit me."</p>
<p>She could still hear the resounding slap; could still feel her cheek burn and ache…</p>
<p>She closes her eyes, shaking her head, her fingers quickly wiping the tears falling from her eyes once more. "He pushed me, and I fell and hit the edge of a table. Marcus just...stood there. He just stood there, staring down at me, and then he just...stormed out. I didn't...I couldn't believe…" She trails off, shaking her head again. "I don't know how long I just lay there, but eventually I got up... and that's when I noticed the blood. I called Jefferson and he took me to the hospital." She sighs, wiping at her cheeks again. "Everything set him off after that."</p>
<p>She sobs, but it's Lucifer, now, who hastens to comfort her. His eyes are fire when his arms support her.</p>
<p>Chloe collapses against his chest, her fingers clenching the fabric of his shirt. She desperately breathes him in, letting his familiar scent wash over her, and she felt the first ounce of safety she’s had in years. His arms wrap around her, one tightly around her waist and the other buried in her hair, crushing her to him.</p>
<p>She cries in his arms: cries for everything she'd lost in such a short amount of time. She cries for the lie she's been living, and the hopes she so desperately clung to that things would change. She cries for Trixie, who felt her pain as if it were her own, and despite herself, she cried for Marcus, for everything he had stood for when she was young and naive and dreaming of a life that seemed so far out of reach.</p>
<p>She doesn’t know how long they stood there, but eventually her sobs subside. She pulls away, letting her hands linger against Lucifer's chest.</p>
<p>"Chloe, It´s not your fault."</p>
<p>Chloe shakes her head. "I made my own decisions. Me and him, we made our own decisions." Her voice is barely above a whisper, though the sound seemed to reverberate against the walls, and she watches them nod, feeling Dan’s hands rubbing up and down her arms in a show of comfort. She takes a breath, and sighs. "I convinced myself that he adored our daughter. That his desire to share everything with her was real. He... It wasn’t adoration. It was a sadistic desire to experiment on our child. He wanted to prove his daughter intelligence, her wit in the face of danger," she sobs.</p>
<p>She blames herself when the words leave her lips. "I should have seen it before!"</p>
<p>Another sob escapes, this time much stronger than the previous one. It’s minutes before she is able to compose herself.</p>
<p>"Nadia was terrified when she told me. He started with easy things; wrote down everything Trixie did. Then it escalated to see how long Trixie could last under water. There were experiments of her choice with sweets, with chemical preparations, with knives. Trixie thought that everything was a fun game. She laughed, and by the time she started talking, she recounted every morbid thing."</p>
<p>Dan shifts in his seat then, clearing his throat softly, and his eyes turns to Lucifer again for the briefest of moments.</p>
<p>"But you ran, after that."</p>
<p>Lucifer now, sits in his chair quietly, clenches his hands into the tightest fist he’s ever seen. His knuckles are white, straining against his skin, and though he sits ramrod straight in his chair, the occasional twitch of his foot or shift of his hand indicates just how tightly wound up Dan’s friend is. His lips are pressed into a thin line. His jaw clenches, and in his dark eyes, Dan can see a war of emotions battling within. He is trying to keep it reigned in. For Chloe's sake.</p>
<p>It's not a question; he simply nods, so Chloe nods, too.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Flashback 5</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Footsteps thundered behind her, and fear tightly clenched her heart as they hurried towards her. The small body of her son was attached to hers. She kept her head down; the stolen baseball cap pulled low on her head. She ran faster, bumping unapologetically into stranger after stranger, barely uttering a word. The footsteps behind followed suit, thundering against the ground.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She ran, racing towards the exit just ahead of her. Her daughter, despite the noise, remained completely asleep, a fact for which she gave thanks to the heavens.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Chest heaving from her panicked breaths, her palms sweaty and hands shaking, she dived for the door, her hands slapping against it as she heard the muttered curse behind her. She shoved it open, fleeing out into the pouring rain.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Just as the door slammed shut behind her, she heard it: the deep, cracking yell of the voice that would forever pursue her, screaming her name.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Chloe!!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His hands glided across her hips, his breath hot against the nape of her neck as he moved closer behind her. His poisonous hands take his daughter and gave her to Nadia, who looks terrified at the exchange.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Nadia takes a step back, making sure the child is well.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You're mine, Chloe," his voice whispered huskily into her ear, making her shiver. "Every inch of you. Every thought. Every feeling. It all belongs to me." An arm wrapped around her chest, fingers tickling the skin of her collarbone before tracing the curve of her breast. "You have to know that I love you...that's why I fight so hard."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her breath shuddered as his touch slid slower, hovering over the sensitive skin of her ribcage.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I'll always find you, Chloe. No matter where you go. However far you run."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She bit back a cry when his hand clamped down on her chest, her broken rib sending an excruciating jab of pain through her entire being. The smell of diluted whiskey clouded her senses as he leaned over her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You belong to me."</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"There's no easy way to ask this, so I apologize, but...did the abuse ever turn...sexual?" Dan asks.</p>
<p>"Chloe..." Lucifer whispers, shaking his head. She lifts her eyes to his, and this is all it takes for her dams to break.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>It's a difficult chapter to read, I know. <br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Please let me know your opinion on this.<br/>What should Lucifer's reaction be?<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. You have my word</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lucifer bellows, exasperated, with a dark glow in his eyes. "This is your life, Chloe Decker!"<br/>"I know!'' A sob escapes her mouth. "I’ve lived with fear, running without stopping, looking behind me, wondering when he will appear, when he will find us -  I can't be happy a minute without wondering if he will come...”<br/>Her voice drops to a whisper. "He scares me," she says, choosing her words carefully. "And I don't want to be scared if he could hurt you too, hurt any of you...”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back.  <br/>I had incredible responses with the previous chapter, I know that all the history of Chloe's past seemed strong, but there will be chapters more softer and with a lot of love.  I promise.<br/>Thanks to all of you for that. And for the love in each comment.<br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite. <br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"There's no easy way to ask this, so I apologize, but...did the abuse ever turn...sexual?" Dan asks.</p>
<p>The quiver of her lips; the way her face crumbles; the hitched sighs that tear their way up her throat are indication enough. Lucifer watches as Chloe lifts a hand to her mouth. Her eyes close as tears slids down her cheeks, her head jerking just once in the affirmative before her shoulders shake with her sobs.</p>
<p>She apologizes with a wave of her hand and runs to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Silence reigns in the room she left.</p>
<p>Something inside Chloe is fractured, broken into pieces. She's hurt in ways Lucifer’s unable to imagine. She, the sweet, kind and intelligent woman who helps him daily, who smiles at him with appreciation has been wounded multiple times. He is sure the scars she carries are deep and much harder to close than she lets on.</p>
<p>Chloe's words have penetrated his mind, creating an additional space, - one full of pain, of revenge.</p>
<p>Each of her words is a physical blow. He's going to be sick.</p>
<p>But more than that, the rage that runs through his body is tangible. It makes him vibrate, he wants to trap the man and see life extinguish from his eyes. Oh, how he wants to do every unpronounceable thing that his brain manifests every second he passes in Chloe’s company!</p>
<p>The piece of garbage that played with her doesn't deserve to breathe at this precise moment. Not after causing so much pain to two of the kindest people Lucifer knows.</p>
<p>Lucifer Morningstar is angry. Furious.</p>
<p>His heart beats in his chest, while the horror of each action solidifies in his stomach. The words Chloe hasn’t spoken have as much weight as the story she’s told.</p>
<p>Lucifer sees red.</p>
<p>Dan's eyes shoot to his friend when Lucifer’s chair scrapes against the floor. He watches as Lucifer leaps from his seat, a growl tearing from his throat, his hand running through his hair as he turns his back, walking a few paces towards the back of the room. The tight clench of his shoulders, the rigidness of his spine, and the telltale sign of a clenched jaw - Lucifer is barely holding on by a thread.</p>
<p>"Lucifer..." Dan warns quietly, his gaze flitting to Chloe, seeing the young woman's sobs worsen with his friend's outburst. He doesn’t blame his friend – it’s taking everything in him not to forsake protocol and hunt down the lowlife that was responsible for this in the first place - but the last thing Chloe needs is Lucifer losing control.</p>
<p>Glancing towards Ella, Dan jerks his chin in Lucifer's direction, watching the woman nod and make her way towards his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder and talking to him in hushed tones.</p>
<p>When Chloe returns half an hour later, Lucifer turns back towards them, nodding as he makes his way to his seat.</p>
<p>He turns his attention to Chloe, leaning further forward in his chair and catching her eye. "Chloe, do you think we can find your husband? Dan, I do believe a call to Lieutenant Evans is in order in regards to Marcus' activities."</p>
<p>"What?" Chloe exclaims, her voice tinged with panic as she leans forward in her chair. "No, you can't - you can't do that! He'll find me! You don't know how far Marcus' connections go!"</p>
<p>Lucifer turns towards her. "Marcus' 'connections' mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, Chloe. Not after everything he's done; everything he's managed to get away with. I will not let him get away with what he's done anymore. He needs to answer for his actions."</p>
<p>"It's more complicated than that," she says with red, shiny eyes.</p>
<p>"It's not."</p>
<p>A vicious protection becomes present, making Lucifer want to be there for the woman and her daughter. "We'll go after that bastard. We'll make him pay, once and for all, for every little thing he's done. He'll regret even thinking about putting a finger on you, Chloe."</p>
<p>"Please don't do this, Lucifer, just... don't do it!" Her voice breaks when she finally lets the emotional pain overcome her again.</p>
<p>"Damn it, Chloe!"</p>
<p>Suddenly, Lucifer screams, earning an angry sigh from the Ella and Dan. "Don't you want him to pay? Do you want him to continue harming other women? I assure you that you will not be the last woman he harmed. You're stronger than that!"</p>
<p>Her obvious despair forms a horrible knot in Lucifer's chest. "No!" she answers. "You don't understand, Lucifer!"</p>
<p>"Then make me understand, Chloe!" His teeth tighten when the next words come from his lips. "Make me understand why in the name of my Father you don't want me to find him and make him pay!"</p>
<p>There are tears now, running down her cheeks. "You don't know him! You don't know what he's capable of!" She breaks eye contact with him. "This isn't another of your games!"</p>
<p>"No, damn right it isn’t!" Lucifer bellows, exasperated, with a dark glow in his eyes. "This is your life, Chloe Decker!"</p>
<p>"I know!'' A sob escapes her mouth. "I’ve lived with fear, running without stopping, looking behind me, wondering when he will appear, when he will find us -  I can't be happy a minute without wondering if he will come...”</p>
<p>Her voice drops to a whisper. "He scares me," she says, choosing her words carefully. "And I don't want to be scared if he could hurt you too, hurt any of you...”</p>
<p>"And what about justice?" His answer is quick and clear. "You don't want that?"</p>
<p>"I don't care! I don't! I just want to be calm!"</p>
<p>"Chloe" -</p>
<p>"Please, don't look for him!" She sobs, feeling the agony, despair and fear mix to form a knot in her chest.</p>
<p>Lucifer nods for her sake. He can still see the uncertainty in her eyes, and he stands up from his chair, stepping before her. He kneels until he meets her eye to eye, watching her brown gaze search his face. "I will not let him hurt you, or Trixie. And I promise you, Chloe, he won't find you."</p>
<p>Chloe stares at him, desperately searching for the truth in his words.</p>
<p>He nods. "You have my word."</p>
<p>His word. A promise. A promise to protect her, the one thing no one ever offered when it came to Marcus.</p>
<p>It´s a promise she believes Lucifer Morningstar would keep.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">One hour later</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Mommy!" Trixie shouts excitedly, running down the penthouse.</p>
<p>But she's caught with agility by Lucifer. "Luci!"</p>
<p>"You have to keep quiet, Urchin, your mom has had an exhausting day and has fallen asleep,” he says with what he thinks is a reassuring smile.</p>
<p>Trixie frowns suspiciously. Her eyes scan the room and Lucifer takes a few steps with the girl, still in his arms, towards his room.</p>
<p>Walking as quietly as he can, so the child can be sure of her mother's presence.</p>
<p>"She's in your room!"</p>
<p>Lucifer feels he should explain himself. "The sofa isn't comfortable enough."</p>
<p>Trixie looks at her mother, sleeping peacefully in the middle of Lucifer's bed. The blue silk sheets partially cover her. Her disheveled hair falls on the pillow while one can just see through the shadows that her face is slightly swollen from tears.</p>
<p>Lucifer swallows. He really hopes Trixie isn't as intuitive as she usually is.</p>
<p>Lucifer closes the door, feeling Trixie's gaze on him.</p>
<p>Her eyes are full of some emotion that Lucifer isn't able to identify.</p>
<p>Trixie wraps her arms around Lucifer's neck, then she says "You were crying."</p>
<p>Lucifer wants to deny that sentence. He's a man who never shows his emotions easily, so crying isn't something he does easily. But the memory of the tears spilling onto his skin upon hearing every word of Chloe tell him otherwise.</p>
<p>Lucifer can't lie to her, not after the child lived in a mess of lies. "Yes, I did."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"I was sad, someone I care about got hurt."</p>
<p>Trixie frowns. "She's okay, now?"</p>
<p>"Yes," says Lucifer. "She is."</p>
<p>"You are not sad anymore?"</p>
<p>Lucifer's jaw tightens, but he responds. "No."</p>
<p>Trixie rests her cheek in the hollow of Lucifer's neck, so the detective allows himself to breathe in her scent: baby soap, watercolors, chocolate chip cookies and innocence. "I'm glad. I don't want you to be sad."</p>
<p>He kisses Trixie's disheveled hair before saying "Who wants more chocolate cake?"</p>
<p>The answer comes in the form of a prolonged laugh.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When Chloe opens her eyes, hours later, the first thing she notices are the silk sheets against her skin, the dark tones of the walls and a bedroom that is not hers.</p>
<p>She changes her position, sitting up, meeting Lucifer's interested dark eyes.</p>
<p>"Is everything alright?" he asks in a low and hesitant voice.</p>
<p>She looks up, surprised to see him there. Even though she is sure that she's in his bedroom.</p>
<p>"Yes," she replies, not too convincingly. "I'm fine."</p>
<p>He takes a step toward the bed, the depth of his eyes indicating the bed in an unspoken gesture. She almost smiled. He's asking permission to sit on his own bed.</p>
<p>She nods, and timidly he takes her face in his hands so she has no choice but to look at him.</p>
<p>The tenderness that she sees in those eyes doesn't frighten her anymore. It's the words that come out of his mouth that really terrify her.</p>
<p>"I would never hurt you, Chloe." His thumbs caress her cheeks while his voice is filled with false security.</p>
<p>Her eyes shine with tears and all she can think is that he knows everything. He knows about her fear and everything she wants to keep hidden. It's like being completely naked in front of him. Her doubts, her fears, her memories. He's invaded every hidden secret thought. He knows...</p>
<p>"It's okay," Lucifer says in a soft voice that makes her heart skip a beat.</p>
<p>She shakes her head, refusing to look at him.</p>
<p>"Please," he begs, watching her with a look full of so much worry that her heart breaks.</p>
<p>"I..." Her voice breaks a little. "I didn't want to...”</p>
<p>
  <em>I didn't want you to know, that you would see me destroyed. But she doesn't say it. However, he knows.</em>
</p>
<p>There is a heartbreaking tone to Chloe's voice that makes Lucifer want to hold her until she feels better again.</p>
<p>She looks away, playing with one of the strands of hair covering her face. "I don't want to go through it again...”</p>
<p>The first of the tears fall.</p>
<p>"I was terrified all the time, he was...”</p>
<p>Lucifer tightens his lips.</p>
<p>"...Like a monster."</p>
<p>Words escape and hurt. She knew it would, but still a strong pain clings to her chest, a throbbing pain that spreads throughout her body. Every part of it's damaged, destroyed.</p>
<p>He draws her to his chest, his soothing palms on her back, his head buried in her hair, the smell of summer flowers into his nostrils... and he has the urge to scream and split everything in half. He can't imagine even half the pain of what an incredible woman has gone through without thinking about what the little girl may have witnessed. He's disgusted by the abomination of a human being who had the cowardice to hurt someone as precious as Chloe.</p>
<p>"What if...what if he come back?" she sobs.</p>
<p>Lucifer's hands reach up, cupping her cheeks and drawing her attention to him. He tilts his chin down, catching her eyes, and he lifts his brows. "Listen to me," he says. "I'm going to fix this. All right? I swear, Chloe, I'm going to fix this."</p>
<p>Her eyes are shimmering with unshed tears, and he pulls her close, wrapping his arms protectively around her. "I couldn't help you before, Chloe, but I'm going to make sure you and Trixie have a future now." He fixes his eyes on hers, and she sees the fury in them.</p>
<p>Because he's a time bomb, and she detonated it.</p>
<p>"Don't do any stupid," is the first thing she says, knowing him, knowing his reputation.</p>
<p>His voice sounds too low. "As if I do stupid things."</p>
<p>"Letting us enter your life was."</p>
<p>"No, letting you in was the smartest thing I've done in my entire life."</p>
<p>She looks at him and the way he's looking at her breaks her heart again.</p>
<p>"Lucifer..." her tone implies a closeness he'd like to think they didn't have.</p>
<p>But it seemed that they did.</p>
<p>She can see her own pain reflected in his dark eyes.</p>
<p>"You and Trixie saved me in every way you can save a person." His eyes shine with tears. "I would never hurt her or you." His hands still caress her back; soothing circles. "I will never let him hurt you again."</p>
<p>It's a litany, a supplication, a word, until at some point she can understand for herself because he needs her so desperately in his life.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Jeff, it's me. I know you told me not to call for a while. And I didn't do it for a year and a half. But I just want you to know that you don't have to worry. I'm fine. Finally.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thanks for everything.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cherry Jane.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Please let me know your opinion on this.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back.  <br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite. <br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>Note: The next two chapters have already been submitted and are being reviewed by my beta. <br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The following days pass briefly. A couple of cases retained his attention, so his interactions with Chloe have been short; no more than a couple of words spoken between them.</p>
<p>That leaves a strange feeling in the pit of Lucifer's stomach, but he doesn't deepen a thought about it.</p>
<p>However, the presence of Trixie in Lux has become a normal occurrence again. The girl spends her afternoons with Lucifer, playing and doing her homework.</p>
<p>Lucifer would be lying if he said he doesn't look forward to the afternoons that the urchin stays with him, because that means there's a good chance he'll meet her mother again.</p>
<p>She never speaks much with him, now. She no longer keeps her gaze on him for long, either.</p>
<p>But there are moments when she does. She smiles and laughs with him as they wait for the urchin to gather her backpack. She answers shortly and sweetly, always with the same hesitant look in her eyes, always swiping at a strand of hair or twisting her hands. And when she and Trixie leave for the day, she would always smile slowly, shifting her gaze to him and offering him a small wave.</p>
<p>He finds himself looking forward to that small wave more and more often.</p>
<p>As now, his eyes are fixed on the hands of the clock, waiting anxiously for her to show up on his penthouse.</p>
<p>If the urchin notices his anxiety, she doesn't say anything. She just laughs at Dan’s jokes, and his horrible sense of avant-garde art.</p>
<p>Just when the rhythm of his heart seems to stabilize, Chloe's footsteps reson and his chest again experiences a warm feeling of emotion.</p>
<p>One that he only feels when he's about to catch a killer.</p>
<p>It's disconcerting how her looks make him feel. Or her smiles, for that the matter.</p>
<p>The elevator doors opens with a sound. She greets him kindly and briefly. Very briefly, then her attention goes completely to the urchin. "It's time to go, monkey. Do you have everything?"</p>
<p>Chloe lifts her gaze to peer over her daugther. She's nodding absentmindedly, her tongue poking between her lips as she concentrates on scribbling something in the bottom corner of her picture. She can't help but smile fondly at the sight.</p>
<p>"Monkey, let's go. Candy and Grace are expecting us, and you know Candy doesn't like to be kept waiting."</p>
<p>The urchin nods again, sliding across the vinyl seat until she plops down onto the floor, pulling her small pink and white backpack with her as she settles on her feet.</p>
<p>Chloe smiles at her girl as Trixie reaches across the table and takes hold of the picture she's been working tirelessly on for the last several minutes, before walking the short distance to Dan and holding it out to him. His eyes widen in surprise, his white teeth flashing as his smile grows, and he takes it gently in him hands. "Is this for me?" he asks, looking down at the blotches of color-greens and red and blues, a myriad of patterns and designs.</p>
<p>Trixie nods, pulling her arms through the straps of her backpack.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Trixie. I'll make sure to hang it somewhere I'll see it everyday, okay?"</p>
<p>A small appreciative smile appeared on her face at his words.</p>
<p>Chloe glances back up at Lucifer, once again noting his gaze is fixed solely on her and her daugther, an almost indiscernible glint to his eyes.</p>
<p>"Bye, Dan!" Trixie says, turning and immediately reaching for her mother's hand. "Bye, Luci!" she says as she leads her mother towards the door. "Thank you for letting me stay with you."</p>
<p>"Anytime, little human," Lucifer replies, smiling for too long.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Her daughter walks a few steps in front of her, babbling excitedly about her day, when Dan's voice is present.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Chloe. Or I have to say...” he laughs. "The woman who puts an honest-to-God smile on Lucifer’s face for the first time in years."</p>
<p>Chloe narrows her eyes slightly, a smile tugging at her lips as she shakes her head and laughs under her breath. "What?"</p>
<p>"Don't tell me you haven't noticed? He doesn't socialize very often without sex, Chloe. Lucifer is, for all intents and purposes, a playboy. He doesn't stick around for idle chit chat or anything like that. And yet that's just what he does with you, anytime you're at Lux when you cames to get Trixie." he watchs the  woman stare at him incredulously for a long moment, and he scoffs, shaking his head. "You truly have no idea, do you?"</p>
<p>Chloe gapes at her, running a hand through her hair, attempting to squash down the faint fluttering she can feel in her chest. There is a heat rising in her face, and she can only pray that it isn't as visible as it feels; though from the way Dan's lips tug up into small smug smile, she has a feeling it is. She shakes her head, running a hand hastily through her hair.  "I'm no good for him," she says quietly.</p>
<p>Dan's eyes stare at her for a long moment before they soften, his head tilting to the side as his smile seemed to grow.  "I think you're wrong," he states plainly. "And I guess we won't know which of us is right until you find out. Will we?" he grins, winking, then waltzes through the door, closing it with a quiet click. Leaving Chloe to stare after him, a weary sigh escaping her lips.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Four hours later </span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Cherry Jane... Chlo!"</p>
<p>She feels the sting of tears when the familiar voice speaks loudly over it.</p>
<p>She smiles, leaning against the wall beside her as she presses the phone closer to her ear. How she'd missed his voice...</p>
<p>"Hello?"</p>
<p>There is a pause on the other line.</p>
<p>He sighes shakily. "Chlo, it's me."</p>
<p>"Jeff!" Relief floods her voice.</p>
<p>"I just...I needed to hear your voice." He sighs again.  "Are you okay?" he finally asks.</p>
<p>"Yes," she replies softly, leaning her head back against the wall and staring at the panelled ceiling above her. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm safe. In…Somewhere safe, for now. Somewhere where no one would think to look for me. Just like you suggested."</p>
<p>"I'm glad," he says softly.</p>
<p>She nods, even though he can't see her, wanting nothing more than to tell him exactly where she is, what she's doing.</p>
<p>Jeff was her stable ground. He was her sanity in a sea of insanity.</p>
<p>Not having him here to hold her hand and talk her through the panic was harder than she ever thought it would be.</p>
<p>Her chest tightens as she listens to Jeff sigh quietly over the line.</p>
<p>They've had stolen phone calls and encrypted messages. They were to be strangers now.</p>
<p>And the realization is tearing her apart more than anything ever has.</p>
<p>"Look," she says softly, lifting a hand to quickly wipe the tears she can feel making their way down her cheeks. "I wrote to you because... I just...I needed you to know that I'm okay. And I'm working through it."</p>
<p>He chuckles, and she joins in softly, shaking her head. "I miss you, though, Jeff. I just...needed you to know. And I don't know when I'll be able to see you again. So..."</p>
<p>"Yeah," Jeff sighs. "I miss you too, honey. You're gonna be okay. If anyone can overcome this, it's gonna be you."</p>
<p>She smiles, nodding, pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling. "Thanks, Jeff." She pushes away from the wall. "I'll talk to you soon," she says.</p>
<p>"Cherry Jane!" he calls out.</p>
<p>She stops, pressing the phone back to her ear. The line is silent, nothing but the steady sound of his even breathing reaching her ears, and then she hears him sigh. A broken, empty sigh that she has become all too familiar with.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Chloe, I´m sorry for not being able to help before."</p>
<p>Her eyes drift shut at this whispered confession.</p>
<p>But there is only so much she can say.</p>
<p>"I know," she replies, her tone just as soft and quiet, and she can practically hear the sad smile in the sigh that greets her.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Back to Lux</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The breath that comes from disbelief is the first thing that manifests in Dan’s features. "Are you kidding me?"</p>
<p>Lucifer rolls his eyes in boredom at the words of his friend.</p>
<p>"Lucifer!" he cries dramatically, directing one of his fingers in an anxious gesture across the wall full of papers.</p>
<p>Papers with maps of cities, information about recent telecommunications companies in the world, the history of domestic abuse reported in cities near LA.</p>
<p>The devil just shrugs, giving a new provada to his cigarette.</p>
<p>Dan's exasperation grows.</p>
<p>"And since when have you been smoking again?" Dan snorts. "I'm sure Chloe won’t want a toxic environment for her child."</p>
<p>And because it's Dan and he can't help himself, he takes the cigar out of Lucifer’s hand and throws it out the window.</p>
<p>"There's a two per cent chance that it ends up being a man-made fire," is the witty response from the devil's lips.</p>
<p>Dan looks at him with disgust, taking steps throughout the room. "I thought we wouldn't look for Chloe's ex."</p>
<p>Lucifer almost laughs at the innocence of his friend.</p>
<p>As if that were possible.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>Lucifer will not let it pass.</p>
<p>"She said...”</p>
<p>The shorter man hisses, but it's cut short by the taller man. "What she wants is irrelevant at this time."</p>
<p>"Irrele" –</p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't have to look to know that Dan is rolling his eyes, and that his cheeks are colored a dark shade of red. "Her abusive husband, Lucifer, how the hell is that irrelevant?"</p>
<p>"What she doesn't know will not hurt her, but knowing where this bastard is will help me protect my Detective."</p>
<p>"Yours?" Dan furrows his brows.</p>
<p>Lucifer's lips tighten and he returns his gaze to the papers on his wall.</p>
<p>Dan takes a breath, trying to control his temper. It's clear the detective was going to play by his own rules, ignoring Chloe's wishes.</p>
<p>"How?" Dan starts trying to put into words his thoughts. "How do you plan to catch the man? Chloe didn't say much about him, she didn't give more than his name."Dan grimaces. "There must be thousands of Marcus in the world, and she didn't mention what town they lived in, the name of the company or any other relevant information."</p>
<p>Lucifer, for the first time all night, smiles at him. "She's a clever woman, trying not to leave clues to follow."</p>
<p>"So?"</p>
<p>"Dallas," Lucifer pronounces easily, playing with his fingers.</p>
<p>"Dallas?" Dan's eyebrows come together.</p>
<p>"Ella was chattering about a streak in Dallas two days ago, a friend of her grandmother's lived there. Ella said how much she wanted to visit one day. That must have triggered a memory in the urchin, that is why she told me that her babysitter Nadia also lived in Dallas. If Nadia lived in Dallas, and her job was to take care of Beatrice…"</p>
<p>"Chloe lived there too. "</p>
<p>"Dallas is located 2012 kilometers from Los Angeles." He speaks slowly so Dan's mind manages to be on stage. "</p>
<p>"That's…”</p>
<p>"There is a ninety-seven per cent chance that Chloe was able to run and hide in various places until she reached this city, especially a single woman running with a child. It's feasible in fact, especially because of the number of tourists that come from there."</p>
<p>Dan's mouth opens comically, then he's able to speak. "What about Marcus?"</p>
<p>"There is no coincidence so far, however my network is being quite persuasive with that aspect. Even Mazikeen has offered to help."</p>
<p>Dan can't believe that. "Did you ask Maze for help?"</p>
<p>"No, don’t be silly, Dan!" Lucifer shakes his head. "She simply becomes useful in seeking information for a case."</p>
<p>"What if this doesn’t work?"</p>
<p>"I can always take a DNA sample from the urchin."</p>
<p>Dan slaps the table against which Lucifer is now leaning. "Listen! I forbid you to touch Trixie's hair just to go hunting for her father."</p>
<p>Lucifer rolls his eyes at Dan's drama. "It's my last resort, Daniel."</p>
<p>Dan snorts again. "I think this is a terrible idea."</p>
<p>Lucifer is about to reply, the doctor knows, but he doesn't let him continue.</p>
<p>"Chloe may be right. She describes him as a monster," Dan snapped. "We shouldn't play with a fire we don't know, Lucifer. He could be a real madman."</p>
<p>The devil gives him a smug smile. "I have fought with demons, sociopaths, terrorist leaders and criminals before, Dan. A madman isn't something I can't handle." His gaze becomes clouded when the figure of his nemesis presents in his mind. "I fought Malcom and Caín if I must remind you."</p>
<p>"Yes, and look how well that worked out."</p>
<p>"Don't be so pessimistic!"</p>
<p>"Pessimistic!" Dan grimaces, repeating the word as if it burned. "He really could be bad... really bad, Lucifer."</p>
<p>"He isn't."</p>
<p>Dan challenges him. "How are you so sure?"</p>
<p>"Because I can't let him be bad enough. I promised." Lucifer runs his hands over his curly hair. "I promised to protect them, Dan."</p>
<p>Dan gives him a worried look. "I just hope that the big bad wolf doesn't come for us. "</p>
<p>"He won’t do it," Lucifer assures Dan.</p>
<p>But he does. He makes his first appearance two days later.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Two days later</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"And the golden star this day is for...” Miss Eve smiles kindly as the group waits in silence for her next words. "Beatrice Decker!"</p>
<p>"Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!" the children sing in unison, applauding.</p>
<p>"Come on, honey!" Eve calls out with a wave of her hand.</p>
<p>The youngest of the students smiles brightly. Her hair is perfectly combed today, so the pink blush that covers her cheeks is visible on her face as she listens to her companions sing and clap for her.</p>
<p>Her steps are timid, but she is excited, she can see it.</p>
<p>Miss Eve moves her hands smiling, while the chorus of applause continues.</p>
<p>She looks up and smiles again when Miss Eve places the golden star on her pink flannel shirt.</p>
<p>"Well done, Beatrice!" she congratulates.</p>
<p>Trixie nods silently. She goes back to her companions, who embrace her and pat her on the shoulder and back.</p>
<p>"How cute is that!" The middle-aged woman, a housewife, with eight cats to feed says to the person at her side.</p>
<p>He gives her a smile that shows her perfect white teeth, nodding his head.</p>
<p>"We all love adorable people," he assures her with a prolonged eyebrow movement, watching the girl and her companions from a safe distance.</p>
<p>The woman smiles. "My grandson Clark is in the painting class at the end of the hall. He's a little bigger than the little one who won the star," she says, trying to open the conversation.</p>
<p>He refrains from rolling his eyes behind his dark glasses.</p>
<p>"I think she's the daughter of that night owner, the famous."</p>
<p>His ears are animated by the previous sentence. His smile rivals that of Cheshire in Alice in Wonderland. "Lucifer Morningstar?"</p>
<p>"Yes, that one, the famous one who says he is the devil!" she nods, waving her hands with ill-concealed joy. "I've seen him a couple of times looking for the girl. They're so cute together."</p>
<p>"Cute." The word creates nausea. However, he smiles.</p>
<p>And when the woman leaves in the company of her grandson, he throws himself smilingly on his prey.</p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Nice drawing you have there, honey!" a voice says behind Trixie’s back.</p>
<p>A voice that she doesn't know. She sighs, doing what Maze taught her.</p>
<p>Deduce strangers.</p>
<p>The urchin puts her green pencil aside and turns around.</p>
<p>Her brow furrows when she sees the man. He's young and tall, but not as tall as Lucifer, wearing blue pants like those worn by Trixie, a white flannel and cream jacket, plus a black baseball cap with red stripes.</p>
<p>Trixie can't see his eyes, because of the sunglasses that cover them.</p>
<p>The man smiles, as if he knows her. A big smile, like that of the clowns in the circus, or the Joker in Batman.</p>
<p>She doesn't like it.</p>
<p>"You're not a very talkative girl, are you?" the man laughs, pulling both earphones out of his ears.</p>
<p>"I shouldn’t talk to strangers."</p>
<p>Her blunt statement is rewarded with a funny laugh.</p>
<p>"Then go, don't talk to me and be a rude girl."</p>
<p>She looks at him without saying anything for several seconds. "I'm not a rude girl." She defends herself by crossing her arms.</p>
<p>"No, go," the man continues, smiling and moving his arm in a gesture that indicates the way to the main entrance of the institution. "You can't talk to strangers, and I'm one."</p>
<p>"You’re using psychology in verse."</p>
<p>That has the man laughing for a long time. "You mean reverse psychology?"</p>
<p>Trixie nods, and the man gives her another smile. "Look at yourself, how smart you are!" he says, bringing a hand to his heart. "I must deeply apologize! I thought that in front of me was a completely ordinary child."</p>
<p>Trixie's lips come together in a thin line. She doesn’t know what ordinary means, but because of the man’s voice, it does not sound good.</p>
<p>"Don’t be offended! I like you. You're fun, the ideal assistant for a magician like me!"</p>
<p>Trixie's mouth opens wide. "Are you a magician?"</p>
<p>The man gets close enough to whisper so only she can hear him. "The best, but you can't tell anyone."</p>
<p>"I don't believe that for a minute." She sounds so much like Lucifer that the man’s stomach forms a knot.</p>
<p>The man wants to pat himself mentally. Oh, Luci boy! What tedious things you’ve taught this child.</p>
<p>The man's face falls into a grimace. He takes a turn around himself, and with a smile and dramatic gesture, touches Trixie's hair, then her right ear, and produces a coin.</p>
<p>Then he does the same procedure without turning around, using her nose.</p>
<p>She laughs after that.</p>
<p>This time, the Man’s hands look for a pen in the pocket of his pants, and in the fold of the drawing that she was drawing doodles a couple of words.</p>
<p>Then he rips the paper and swallows them.</p>
<p>Trixie looks at him with curiosity written in her clear eyes, his lips curled in a mischievous smile.</p>
<p>That sight is better, something closer to the man's own demons, and less close to the side of the angels.</p>
<p>He repeatedly runs his hands over his cheeks and mouth, and after a while the words appear written in the palm of his hand.</p>
<p>"WOW!" Trixie shouts excitedly, jumping from one side to the other.</p>
<p>"I told you, I'm a magician," the man says softly, smirking at the girl.</p>
<p>"I want to do that!" She urchin says softly, her eyes getting bigger with every word.</p>
<p>His head moves to the opposite side while the man laughs. "But, you can't."</p>
<p>She shrugs at that.</p>
<p>"Not without my help."</p>
<p>"Can you teach me?" She asks, too excited.</p>
<p>The man considers it for a minute.</p>
<p>"I thought you weren’t supposed to talk to strangers." The man drags the words out, pushing his lips forward in a pout at the end of his sentence.</p>
<p>"My name is Beatrice Decker," the girl begins extending her hand. "Now you have to say your name, and you won’t be a stranger."</p>
<p>The man’s head moves comically to both sides. "Cain...the magician."</p>
<p>"Will you teach me, then?"</p>
<p>"Absolutely, Beatrice," Cain intones with a melodious voice.</p>
<p>"Now?"</p>
<p>Cain laughs. "Noo, too soon, maybe later."</p>
<p>Trixie nods, jumping for joy.</p>
<p>"See you, Beatrice!"</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Hours later</strong>
</p>
<p>"Damn it, Zeke, why don't we just kill him already? I'm bored." A male voice complains, looking at the unconscious man.</p>
<p>Someone else jokes.</p>
<p>"Torture is fun, man," the new voice responds with a smile on his face, imagining the tone of sufficiency of his words. “Right, Zeke?”</p>
<p>"Shut up, you two!" A third voice, probably belonging to Zeke, responds. "We're going to kill him when the time is right. I want to see him suffer, then we can go for it."</p>
<p>One of the men snorted. "Whatever it is, it's not like she's that important."</p>
<p>Marcus Pierce clenches his jaw. "Oh, she is. Just too much light... Like a candle in the dark. Like a miracle. So, be good boys for me and find Chloe Decker," he says with cold, calculating eyes. "The child is mine, she is mine," he announces firmly. "And when we find them, we will return home to talk about their immediate punishment." He finishes with an evil glow in his eyes</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He's not a very open person. That's what his family says of him. He's too busy trying to heal the wounds of his poor broken heart.</p>
<p>He wakes up in a dimly-lit room, and when his eyes finally adjust to the gloom he notices a shadow through the room. He would never confuse that man with anyone else.</p>
<p>Panic seizes him and suddenly he feels as if he's going to hyperventilate.</p>
<p>"Pierce," he swallows.</p>
<p>"Good evening, Jeff, thank you for having the good sense to be scared." The man smiles mischievously as he drums his fingers.</p>
<p>A second later, screams echo in the room.</p>
<p>Accompanied by the dry sound of a bullet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Please let me know your opinion on this.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>A little spoiler for those who always comment. The title of the next chapter is Seduction. What do you think it is about? =)<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. SEDUCTION</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There's nothing more seductive than the truth, right?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="u">Seduction:</span> Fascination or attraction of a thing or a person that provokes his desire or his affection. Seduction is the set of expressions, manifestations, language, beauty, knowledge and behavior that emanate from people's ways of being in order to achieve interaction with other people.</p>
<p>The days have passed slowly. His investigation seems somewhat stagnant and that stresses him to the fullest.</p>
<p>He has sworn to protect them, and he will not rest until he has the bastard who destroyed their lives demanding mercy for his miserable life. He wants to see the light in his eyes go out when the last beath escapes from his lips after endless blows received by his useless body, stained with blood.</p>
<p>He will savor that moment. That victory. Lucifer knows that jail is not a punishment for this type of monster, even though Dan clings to the otherwise belief.</p>
<p>If only he could know more, get closer to the details about the man and his appearance. Unfortunately, Chloe kept her defenses up. Clearly he understands that, only Lucifer wants - for the first time in his life - to be there for her, to know her fully. She's not making this easy for him.</p>
<p>She is the biggest enigma he has come across, and this only fuels his interest even more. He's too wrapped up in her to let this go.</p>
<p><em>&lt;I bet she thinks I'm the biggest idiot she's ever encountered&gt;</em> he tells himself a couple of times.</p>
<p>His head is spinning and he isn't entirely sure if it is due to the endless drinks he had the night before with Daniel or the woman who decided to set up camp and take up residence in his brain.</p>
<p>He lets the shower water run in order to ease his thoughts and the terrible hangover that seeps into his entire body.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The click of her heels echoe on the floor as she walks through his apartment. Her eyes are on the whole environment. There is a mixture of dark, manly design mixed with her daughter's toys spread out on the different furniture.</p>
<p>Chloe sighs when she starts to pick them up. Her daughter had begged her to go visit Lucifer early, so she left her in the raven's apartment for a few hours, but after a morning of games she was completely asleep on the big sofa with a bear in her hands.</p>
<p>"There are a couple of new toys that I bought for her, they are down the hall in the room on the right hand side." Daniel, with whom she had struck up a polite conversation, comments, with an amused smile on his face before kissing her cheek.</p>
<p>She doesn't think much about it. She decides to keep picking up her daughter's toys so she can take her home without wanting to think about the owner of the property or his clear absence.</p>
<p>She clearly doesn't think about him.</p>
<p>She's not even mad at him because he's made it his life goal to try to protect her while openly flirting with her. No. That's not the problem. That isn't the reason that's kept her angry for two long weeks.</p>
<p>He is playing a dangerous game and he doesn't know it. He should stay away from her and her past, but he doesn't. He doesn't want to, either.</p>
<p>Not even after seeing her broken pieces, her hidden wounds and scars.</p>
<p>He's like a dog with a bone - he doesn't back down.</p>
<p>She just wants to not be attracted to him. Don't let him enter her heart.</p>
<p>Although both are impossible. She knows it.</p>
<p>Oh! If wishes could be fulfilled, she thinks as she advances down the corridor indicated by Daniel, stopping particularly by the door. She turns the doorknob slowly without making too much noise so as not to wake Trixie from sleep.</p>
<p>She takes a quick look around the room to find that she is alone - or so she thinks.</p>
<p>Chloe walks in, taking in the car-patterned gift bags spread out on the bed.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The water that was running in the other room finally ceases. Chloe is about to give up on her search when she hears the sound coming from the room to the side, followed by a series of footsteps on the ground. Half a second later, Lucifer enters.</p>
<p>Lucifer. In all his glory. His hair is damp and parts of his chest glisten from the water. Lucifer and his perfectly-chiseled chest and his grin that spreads wolfishly at seeing her standing there without saying anything at all.</p>
<p>Indecent doesn't even begin to describe where her thoughts have gone.</p>
<p>"Oh God!" she screams, flushed.</p>
<p>Is she having a panic attack? There is a sudden shortness of breath and a high possibility that she could pass out at any time. To complicate matters further, she can't imagine what kind of look he's giving her, but it's not helping her anxious feelings.</p>
<p>He gives her a cheeky grin. "I'm definitely not him, but I'm pretty close."</p>
<p>The devilish grin that splits his face lights up his eyes and ugh, does he need to be this beautiful all the time? It's very annoying. Especially when he winks at her, he oozes gallons of charm and sex appeal.</p>
<p>He smiles, triumphant and overconfident, and it's the twisted reflection in her eyes that makes his smile so contagious. She finds herself rolling her eyes at him.</p>
<p>"Put some clothes on!" Chloe snaps, shaking her head away.</p>
<p>"How can I take a shower with my clothes on?" Lucifer laughs, feigning innocence.</p>
<p>"Just stop being naked! " she cries without looking at him with her red face, which he thinks is adorable and beautiful.</p>
<p>Lucifer walks towards her. "Are you uncomfortable?" he asks with a gleam in his eyes as his lips part in a smile that makes her blush.</p>
<p>The words leave her mouth before she can think of an answer that wouldn't make his ego skyrocket. "Yes!"</p>
<p>"Are you afraid you won't be able to control yourself?"</p>
<p>Chloe shakes her head then looks at his face - then she realizes how close he is to her. And how very naked.</p>
<p>"I'm not attracted to you," Chloe says with conviction.</p>
<p>She realizes Lucifer is trying really hard not to look like Christmas has come early.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry to hear that," he replies as his face celebrates a smile. He knows something is hidden, something she's not saying, something she is denying. Oh! He loves this game. The one with the cat and the mouse. "That piques my curiosity."</p>
<p>"Curiosity killed the cat," she replies quickly.</p>
<p>"Satisfaction brought her back."</p>
<p>Mayday! Mayday! This is a code red! her mind screams, telling her to run away.</p>
<p>A frown appears on her beautiful face as she asks "Is that what you are looking for?" The word stings in her mouth. "Satisfaction?"</p>
<p>He shakes his head quickly, his eyes never leaving her. "No; I just wanted some answers," he clarifies sincerely.</p>
<p>"And have you got them?" She takes all the determination she has and turns around.</p>
<p>A devious smile splits his face, giving him a youthful air. His hand wraps around her wrist, drawing her close, but not touching her body.</p>
<p>"Not all I wanted."</p>
<p>She swallows hard and takes a deep breath. Her aroma fills his nostrils. "You're trying so hard to be intimidating, Miss Decker, I'm almost impressed!"</p>
<p>He smirks wolfishly, letting her go.</p>
<p>She sighs, flushed, with her heart beating a thousand miles an hour when she stops in front of her still sleeping daughter.</p>
<p>The gift bags were left in Lucifer's room.</p>
<p>Her heart still beats at a menacing pace, even when she picks Trixie up and leaves with her.</p>
<p>There is something dangerous about being carried away by attraction.</p>
<p>There is something much more dangerous if the source of the attraction has the perfect body and dark eyes.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>What seduces is never usually where it is thought to happen.</p>
<p>Lucifer wears a white shirt and a two-piece black suit. His hair is perfectly combed and smooth, and the intoxicating scent of his perfume creeps through the room.</p>
<p>Perfection! That was the only thing she lacked.</p>
<p> He walks to the car and stands in front of her. "Okay, now we can forget about uncomfortable topics completely. You've already seen me naked." He crosses his arms in amusement. "Would you like that, Chloe?"</p>
<p>The sound of her name sliding into his mouth is exquisite; it's like magic drawing her even closer to him. She doesn't know how, but it's just hard not to fall for someone like him.</p>
<p>However, it is something she is determined to fight. She decides to listen to her mind, avoiding at all costs the constant peal of her heart. "I don't think that would be very appropriate. We work in the same place, Lucifer," she states with clarity, finally looking at him, waving her hands nervously.</p>
<p>He smiles, looking at her, taunting her with his powerful blue eyes. Her heart races and she prays to all the gods he doesn't notice.</p>
<p>"Women like you are weird, Chloe," he replies, without taking his eyes off her. "You keep me on my toes... and I like that," he concludes as he searches for his phone and starts speaking.</p>
<p>He goes about his business like he hasn't said anything, but she can see that stupid smile on his face.</p>
<p>Chloe thanks God when they get to work. Her work will let her to avoid his gaze and exquisite smile for the remainder of the day.</p>
<p>                                                   </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Days later, when her rational mind seems to have abandoned her, she finds herself in Lucifer's penthouse. He suggested they could continue working on some things, and he would chivalrously take her home when finished.</p>
<p>She saw nothing wrong with the suggestion. It's just work.</p>
<p>She slips out of her shoes. A sigh of relief escapes her lips and she decides not to notice the smile plastered on the black-haired man's face. Instead she decides to finish her paperwork.</p>
<p>But it is an impossible task when he walks from one side of the room to the other, like a caged animal. Of course, the difference lies in the insightful look he is giving her. That look that burns her back with every step he takes after changing his clothes.</p>
<p>OMG! No one looks as sexy in a matching pair of silk pants and robes like him! It should be illegal. She can't stop feeling tense. He laughs, his smile only growing with her actions.</p>
<p>"Sorry!" he apologizes with clearly feigned innocence, perching right behind her. "Am I distracting you, Detective?" he whispers.</p>
<p>Her eyes widen at his statement.</p>
<p>Lucifer watches her get up from the couch and walk away from him. An amused smile plays on his face; his game is evident: cat and mouse. However, she certainly isn't making this easy.</p>
<p>"I think your inflated ego has skewed your sense of reality," she clarifies, clinging to the reading as if her life depended on it. She won't be distracted by his smile, his sensational body - no she won't! Not Chloe Decker.</p>
<p>There's something seductive about her, her gaze steady as she maintains her argument. It's almost admirable, he cannot deny it. She is dedicated, fierce, and he is even more attracted to her, if that's possible.</p>
<p>"Are you sure your moth-eaten personality won't be drawn to this fire that is me?" Lucifer jokes with a predatory smile. His eyebrows go up in amusement.</p>
<p>Oh! How she wants to erase that smile.</p>
<p>"I'm more and more confident," Chloe declares firmly.</p>
<p>"But going by your hot gaze on me, I almost feel eaten. Am I wrong, Chloe?" he jokes, smiling like a child in front of a poster of his favorite hero.</p>
<p>Written fervor runs through it all. Of course he's not distracting her. Genius believed.</p>
<p>If she says it enough, maybe she will really believe it.</p>
<p>Finally, she lifts her long lashes and the black of his hair strikes her heart. "It's hard for me to focus on what you're saying, Lucifer, when there's all that gel in your hair."</p>
<p>The damned man laughs. He really laughs! The cynicism of some, Chloe snorts.</p>
<p>"Has anyone told you that you are something incredible?" she redaughterates.</p>
<p>"Yes! But by all means, keep saying things like that," he says, playing along.</p>
<p>She complains at his flirtatious jokes. "You are beyond repair!"</p>
<p>"I'm perfect, I don't need a repair!" He exhales a laugh when he sees the sparkle in her eyes. "I am the definition of perfect."</p>
<p>Chloe laughs.</p>
<p>Lucifer decides to try his luck. "I'd like to ask you out tomorrow," he says with all the seriousness he can quickly change the subject with.</p>
<p>She sighs. "Tomorrow is Friday. I work."</p>
<p>He laughs at her excuse. "I'm sure your boss will let you take the night off."</p>
<p>The smile he gives her is beatific and it catches her off guard, but she finds herself smiling back anyway.</p>
<p>"I can't, I need the money." She really does.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, honey," he assures her with a mischievous wink. "I'll make sure your time off is paid for."</p>
<p>There are a dozen reason why she shouldn't do it, but there's a big part of her that wants to ignore every one of them.</p>
<p> "And you can always find a good babysitter in town," he ends, leaving them with no possible excuses, thinking of hiring Ella for the night.</p>
<p>A hint of a smile appears on her face. "You know, my mother warned me not to go anywhere with strange men."</p>
<p>"Not even with very lovely strangers?"</p>
<p>"Especially with them."</p>
<p>"Well, I promise you I don't bite. Unless you're into that kind of thing." He smirks playfully.</p>
<p>"Does that line ever work?" She plays along with him again.</p>
<p>She can't help but notice how his eyes roam over her body, closing in on her like a hunter sneaking up on his prey.</p>
<p>"You tell me."</p>
<p>She swallows, hoping he doesn't notice her heart racing frantically in her chest, how her breathing has increased.</p>
<p>The tension is thick, but she has no idea why. Sure, she's attracted to him, but her analytical mind refuses to acknowledge him.</p>
<p>"You realize that not everyone adapts to what you want to do, when you want to do it."</p>
<p>"Seriously?" Lucifer inquires with a sarcastic smile as his feet step closer to her. "Because I've found the world is most helpful when it comes to getting what I want, when I want."</p>
<p>Chloe laughs, shaking her head. Of course, this is how the world works for a man like him. After all this time, she really shouldn't be surprised to find that people fall over themselves to please this man.</p>
<p>"You have to be very good to always get what you want, when you want it," she jokes.</p>
<p>He smiles in amusement with a look of discovery on his face. "I invited you to meet me, Chloe so you can see how good I can be," he blurts out sincerely, keeping his eyes fixed on hers.</p>
<p>In an attempt to pull away from his powerful dark eyes, she looks away after a moment of playing the staring game with Lucifer.</p>
<p>“Are you sure I don't make you feel uncomfortable, darling?" he asks, laughing. Chloe can practically feel his booming laugh.</p>
<p>"Of course not!" she replies indignantly, having found her voice. The furious blush is evident on her normally pale face.</p>
<p>"I can see that," he smiles with a slightly teasing tone.</p>
<p>She watches him fight her gallant smile. His jaw clenches, she tries to act like she's unaffected, but the blush on her cheeks is a dead giveaway that she's not succeeding.</p>
<p>"You are a fool."</p>
<p>"Actually, according to Cosmopolitan I am a God of sex, with an agonizing smile and an ability to fall in love easily, Detective," he answers, making her smile and quickly forget the situation.</p>
<p>"I can imagine, but I don't fall in love so easily," she follows suit.</p>
<p>"We'll see about that."</p>
<p>"That was not a challenge."</p>
<p>"Well, too bad because I have already accepted" he says with a gallant smile. "Let's see how you try not to fall in love with me." He points to himself smugly.</p>
<p>“How modest!” Her eyebrows rise.</p>
<p>He moves closer to her, his eyes on her allways. A clash of blue against chocolate. Chloe can't help but smile.</p>
<p>“I really want to kiss you now, " Lucifer asserts as if it's no big deal as he pushes a lock behind his ear.</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>He shrugs: "For the usual reasons, I suppose: I'm a man, you are a woman, you're driving me completely crazy... You can't argue with logic."</p>
<p>He licks his lips. It's a mesmerizing move that makes Chloe's brain turn off and go on replay mode over and over again in her head. She sucks in a breath of air as his hand moves to the side of her face and runs his fingers across her cheek.</p>
<p>"Tell me you don't want this," he whispers before placing a chaste little kiss where his fingers left marks on her cheek.</p>
<p>"I don't want to be another one of your games."</p>
<p>"Don't talk about what you don't know. I think you would be surprised."</p>
<p>"I'd be surprised to know what? That a real heart beats here?" He places her his hand on his chest, where it's feels like it's going to explode. She doesn't even realize what he's doing, and when she finally takes note of what what he has done, she immediately tries to withdraw her hand. But it's too late and he stops her, covering her hand with his.</p>
<p>She swallows hard before being able to meet his eyes. "There is a real heart beating here," he elaborates. "I know you can feel it beating like crazy. It tends to do that when you're around."</p>
<p>"I..." She tries to say something but the poor thing doesn't know what.</p>
<p>"I don't know what you're doing to me. I feel like I don't have any control over myself. I've fallen under a spell," Lucifer admits in a low whisper. "A spell that drives me crazy, Chloe. I can't stop thinking about you. You've made me crazy and I hate to admit it, but I like you."</p>
<p>"I…"</p>
<p>He doesn't let her finish. He's so close to her, so close to her lips, that he can't deny himself any more than he wanted to do from the moment she walked into that office looking all beautiful and sexy.</p>
<p>Lucifer will rot in hell for this. But she will make it worth it.</p>
<p>He presses his lips against her. He can feel her freezing. So stop for a second and wait. Wait to see if she returns the kiss or pushes him away. She doesn't push him. Instead she clings to his shirt and pulls him close. That is the signal he needs to continue. He leans in and tastes her lips. They taste like honey and feel like sin. They are so soft, it's almost like kissing silk. They feel in tune with him. He clings even closer to her and pushes her gently onto the couch without breaking the contact between their lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell. <br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment. <br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Please let me know your opinion on this.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Complications of a heart in love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back.<br/>Happy New Year =D<br/>Thanks to all the people who read my story, the people who kindly comment and who have made my story their favorite.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter.<br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me.<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer.<br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Value what you have before time teaches you to appreciate what you lost.</em>
</p>
<p>She couldn't take it anymore - those words burned her heart, melting whatever was left to melt inside her, because Chloe was sure that Lucifer was nailed to the bottom of her bones. She kisses him again, like a woman given to a man for whom she dies, kisses him like a veteran on the subject of love, kisses him tenderly, with unbridled passion, with hidden frenzy; she kisses him as his angel and he the person she chose.</p>
<p>He responds nimbly, his kisses that go from being tender to kisses that take any mortal to heaven. She clings to his neck while he clings to her waist, drawing her even closer to his body. Lucifer can feel his tongue carefully traverse her mouth and taste her palate. The sound emanating from her flutters through his entire body like a shiver of pleasure, which he knows will be repeating in his mind for a long time.</p>
<p>His hands gently traverse her back, slipping under the soft fabric, feeling her skin burning under his simple touch. At this moment they are two people breaking a sexual tension that has kept them apart all the time they have known each other.</p>
<p>He's really in heaven or a point far beyond, his mind can't really agree, not when the lips of the woman he yearned for come alive with his and make his heart beat a rapid beat in his own chest. .</p>
<p>Forget being completely under its spell. Now he's drowning in her.</p>
<p>Everything is too perfect until reality hits him; the moment she pulls away from him, her puffy lips, red cheeks, and cloudy glowing eyes add a charming touch to the beautiful woman. But he can also observe the fear, the confusion that floods second after second on her face, before the first words leave her lips.</p>
<p>"We can't do this. I can't do this," she confesses with a voice that is too shaky.</p>
<p>Lucifer shows her his flirtatious smile at that moment. His arms tighten around her waist. "Chloe..." His eyes are hazy and dark.</p>
<p>"We shouldn't," she breathes into the space between them, as one of his hands gently clings to her waist, her other hand now free, tenderly stroking her cheek. This softer side takes her by surprise. She is used to his trusting, often arrogant side, so she doesn't know how to respond. "Chloe..."</p>
<p>"No! Just don't say anything. You know as well as I do that this is a mistake. This is not right."</p>
<p>"Maybe it is," he answers with a softness in his voice that almost makes her cry.</p>
<p>"God, just no! Okay?" she claims under her breath as she walks away from him. But he won't allow it. He keeps his grip on her waist.</p>
<p>Lucifer's jaw clenches so hard that for a second Chloe is worried he's going to leave the place. "Give me a reason why."</p>
<p>"I'm a single mother, struggling to escape her past, Lucifer. I’m… a mess of gratuitous problems inserting into your life." She gasps as the touch of the man's fingers on her cheek melts even further into her skin. She's on fire, so she can't really give him a coherent reason.</p>
<p>"I don't care about any of that. I want you in my life, Chloe," Lucifer tells her, his hot breath running down her neck with a softness that almost has her on her knees.</p>
<p>"Why are you fighting this?" he mutters, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes. "What's stopping you?"</p>
<p>She pauses for a moment, resting her hands on his shoulders before pulling him away.</p>
<p>"I don't want to be a game," she whispers, her heart racing at his proximity. She has always known that it has a heady effect on her, even before he even kissed her.</p>
<p>Lucifer looks puzzled for a whole second. He knows that's not the reason.</p>
<p>"You should know by now that you would never be a game to me," he cautiously replies, his eyes never leaving her precios blue eyes.</p>
<p>"You can't even believe this, can you? We get carried away with this attraction that exists between us, but we can't get anywhere. It's simply an attraction that will eventually die." The words feel like knives sliding down her throat but she manages to say confidently and calmly.</p>
<p>It's pretty evident in the way his eyes don't slip from her when she says he's a mere attraction. They are full of pain. There is a journey - the way his heart skips and lodges in his throat, and he has to grind the words past the knot when he asks, his voice weak and crazily shaking, "What is the real reason?"</p>
<p>Her eyes speak volumes about her own feelings. He's getting good at reading her, but it doesn't work right now. Not when she averts his gaze while whispering. "I don't want to have anything with you, I just want to go."</p>
<p>He seems hurt but doesn't argue with her. He just watches her go, leaving behind a feeling of discomfort all over the place.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong> <span class="u">At Chloe's</span> </strong>
</p>
<p>It is the silence that welcomes her, her body moving heavily as she deposits her things on the nearby armchair.</p>
<p>Her head is a mess that twists and turns many times. There are so many thoughts that she is sure it will explode into a thousand pieces at any moment.</p>
<p>All for a single name. Lucifer.</p>
<p>She needs to determine the exact moment when the raven crossed enemy territory, right through the walls of her heart. She must fight, increase the walls that cover her unstable heart, and increase her defenses.</p>
<p>The problem is that she feels she is not even ready to face it. His pride and inner strength certainly don't help in these kinds of Trixieers, either.</p>
<p>She is a coward, if that's the definition of someone who, reeling from a fiery kiss, leaves a man mystified and hurt. Because Chloe is not stupid, she saw how his puppy eyes begged her to stay.</p>
<p>He clearly hadn't said anything, but a look is worth a thousand words.</p>
<p>She has hurt him, but this pain that she knows will be temporary in him is preferable, compared to the pain that she could bring him by staying in his life.</p>
<p>Trixie is a clear example. To understand how she has damaged someone she loves... Lucifer should not have to live the same.</p>
<p>She should just… forget everything… forget about Lucifer.</p>
<p>
  <em>&lt;No!&gt; her mind intervenes brutally, stupid and unanalytical.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, please no!</em>
</p>
<p>She takes a deep breath before trying to lie to herself.</p>
<p>What is it that makes him so addicting to her?</p>
<p>Infatuation, that's all. She is only in love with this beautiful man, intrigued by everything she can see and everything she does not know about him. She has laid herself bare, she has seen her true self, but she fears that at some point he will grow bored of her and that will be the end of this.</p>
<p>She should be angry and ready to recite a list of things about why being together is a bad choice and yell the list to him, but for some reason she is unable to do that.</p>
<p>Instead she feels a painful twinge in her chest and a horrible sinking sensation in her stomach. Her heart gets heavy, and her eyes can't blink.</p>
<p>Because she kissed him back. In a way that makes it clear there is too deep a feeling waking up there.</p>
<p>There is so much in her right now, it feels like she is drowning.</p>
<p>This is not going to be easy. But she must put distance between them and forget everything.</p>
<p>But even she can see the void in that big lie.</p>
<p>           </p>
<hr/>
<p>                                     </p>
<p>His head is a mess, so many thoughts developing that he is sure it is going to explode any moment.</p>
<p>All because of one name. Chloe.</p>
<p>The only thing clouding his mind is her.</p>
<p>He can't help but think that he doesn't deserve her.</p>
<p>Still, saying that it didn't hurt would be a lie, with her words still stinging in his chest.</p>
<p>They echo in his head; his muscles tense and his jaw tightens. For several seconds, he is scared.</p>
<p>Until you get too deep, you never know who really has your heart. You don't know how much your body craves a simple <em>I care about you; I want you</em>.</p>
<p>He is just doing the best that he can right now.</p>
<p>He drowns his sorrows in alcohol for what seems like days.</p>
<p>Drowning the pain of her rejection, drowning his own pain. Escaping once more from this feeling that burns his chest every time he thinks of her.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>A week later, he meets her again.</p>
<p>A meeting too brief, where their eyes meet and their hearts beat at the same rate.</p>
<p>When she leaves, he remembers how her floral perfume invaded his nostrils, and his heart leapt at it.</p>
<p>He has missed her. He has missed her pretty eyes, her funny smile, and the angelic sound of her voice.</p>
<p>He's still an idiot in love with her, from all he can see.</p>
<p>Bloody hell!</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The conversation behind the kiss stayed in a corner as if nothing had happened, while they continue with their lives. The worst thing is that Lucifer doesn't know how to bring up the subject without damaging the dynamics they had built.</p>
<p>Now, she only turns to him to talk about work-related topics, or to talk to him about Trixie.</p>
<p>She doesn't share anything else with him.</p>
<p>Her absence is abysmal. It burns him, it destroys him. Lucifer just wants to get close to her.</p>
<p>But he doesn't know how.</p>
<p>Luckily for him, the answer comes four days later.</p>
<p>Trixie's eyes are fixed on the TV screen in front of her. Her hands are tightly closed on the game control, an adorable frown showing on her face. Lucifer can't help smiling at the sight of the child.</p>
<p>Spending time with the urchin has become a routine he's come to love, a routine that keeps him distanced from his research about the child's father, far from what Dan calls his current obsession.</p>
<p>Lucifer snorts. The investigation seems to be stagnant. Not even the fine threads his brother sends approach anywhere near the network of lies created by the monster that was installed in Chloe's life.</p>
<p>He's a ghost, a magician.</p>
<p>Someone much smarter than the person Lucifer initially considered him to be.</p>
<p>Trixie whoops.</p>
<p>Lucifer turns his attention to the girl sitting next to him. A smile curves Trixie's lips and the words "<em>I WIN!"</em> resonate throughout the room.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles affectionately and pats her shoulder.</p>
<p>It's his turn to play. He's about to grab his own control when Trixie's voice stops him.</p>
<p>"Do you like my mummy, Lucifer?"</p>
<p>Once, twice, maybe three times he opens and closes his mouth before he's able to emulate an answer.</p>
<p>"Sure, Urchin! She's a very nice woman," he responds, watching the growing frown on Trixie's face.</p>
<p>Trixie, of course, isn't buying anything Lucifer said.</p>
<p>"No, Luci!" She emphatically shakes her head in disagreement. "Do you like my mum like dads like mums?" she asks seriously.</p>
<p>Well, he's a smart girl, Lucifer must admit.</p>
<p>"Because I think you like her," She declares firmly; no open points to any discussion.</p>
<p>Lucifer laughs. "What makes you think that?"</p>
<p>"Ella says your head's in the clouds, that you're a lovesick puppy dog when it comes to my Mummy." She smiles, clearly amused with her precious nanny's observations. "Besides, you always look very nice and say beautiful things about her." She says it as if it weren't the most obvious thing in the world.</p>
<p>Lucifer's a man who always has something to say, but at that precise moment he finds himself speechless. How do you explain to a five-year-old girl that you're probably in love with her mother? That you've never felt this way about any human being, and that her gaze is capable of generating complicated chemical reactions in his body and negating the process of thought?</p>
<p>Lucifer can only look at her questioningly, but the girl doesn't give up her cunning.</p>
<p>"I see," She responds, smiling at the clearly awkward position in which Lucifer is. "You shouldn't be afraid, Luci," she says with all the sincerity she can muster for such a smart little girl while she gently pats the man. "I think she likes you too," she whispers under her breath, her eyes set on the hallway that leads to the kitchen.</p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't know whether to laugh or act seriously before the little cupid sitting next to him.</p>
<p>"You got me, girl," Lucifer says, ruffling her hair. "My concentration was lost the day I met your mum."</p>
<p>Trixie smiles understandingly.</p>
<p>"Although I should blame you for that - it was you who showed me that bunch of drawings of her."</p>
<p>She shrugs. "She has nice eyes."</p>
<p>A pleasant smile forms on Lucifer's lips. "Very beautiful eyes."</p>
<p>"But do you need help?"</p>
<p>"What? Why do you say that?"</p>
<p>"She isn't an easy person, Luci," she replies without blinking, and Lucifer begins to wonder at what point did this little girl become twice as smart as she already was?</p>
<p>Lucifer looks at her, waiting for an explanation. Trixie doesn't disappoint.</p>
<p>"Ella says that when your heart has been broken, you become a difficult person."</p>
<p>She pauses to look at him. Her eyes are full of a feeling that Lucifer is unable to identify. She continues before asking seriously "You don't want to break her heart, right?"</p>
<p>"Never."</p>
<p>The little one gives him an ice-melting smile. "So, you really like my Mummy?" The girl jumps for joy.</p>
<p>The devil laughs at her enthusiasm. "Very much, but let's keep it a secret," he says, moving slowly.</p>
<p>"Very well, I'll keep your secret." Trixie jumps to the floor and runs to the kitchen where Ella and Dan are making delicious chocolate cookies.</p>
<p>Lucifer smiles. Chloe is a difficult woman, with a heart wrapped in walls after a dark past. He only has to fight harder.</p>
<p>He can do that.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Hours later, when Chloe looks for her girl, Lucifer smiles at her and even manages to talk to her about something other than work.</p>
<p>She smiles back at him, laughing at one of his snide comments.</p>
<p>That gives him hope.</p>
<p>He can do this, put the balance back on his side.</p>
<p>He is sure of it, he will fight for them.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucifer watches them with pleasure as Trixie chatters about the different animals she wants to see at the town's aquarium, her class will be visiting in a couple of weeks. Chloe smiles at the girl's enthusiasm as she takes her hand to walk out of the apartment, giving Lucifer a grateful look for having offered to take care of her for the afternoon.</p>
<p>"We'll see a lot of goldfish," the girl speaks again with safe words, making her a connoisseur of the matter, getting a laugh from Dan and Lucifer. "Killer sharks too, but I'm not afraid of them anymore. I'm brave, mom."</p>
<p>Chloe strokes her hair tenderly. "You are very brave, darling!"</p>
<p>Lucifer gives her a questioning look.</p>
<p>"I have to talk to Ella about what she let's her see on television," Chloe laughs. "They saw the movie <em>Jaws</em> last week; she was terrified for days," she whispers under her breath.</p>
<p>Lucifer considers it, he really is not the best example of a calm person.</p>
<p>"You know what, urchin?" he kneels to keep up with the girl's height. "That's just a taste of how brave you are." He smiles at her. "Many people would not dare look at a real shark after that famous movie out of fear. But you" - Lucifer points out proudly - "you are a hero."</p>
<p>Trixie looks on proudly, bouncing down the hall where they walk towards the exit, talking about everything and nothing with Dan.</p>
<p>"You really are a master." It's Chloe's whisper.</p>
<p>A smile almost breaks from his lips when he speaks, a mischievous look of mocking in his eyes. "Yes, as in many other areas, but you refuse to provide a demonstration."</p>
<p>Chloe looks at him flushed. "You are a pompous man, has someone told you that?"</p>
<p>"Once, maybe twice a day on average," he jokes. However, his gaze turns serious when he feels the distance between them and his friend with Trixie has extended.</p>
<p>He speaks again. "I've been thinking of you." His hands now run through his hair in a frantic way.</p>
<p>"Well, take a cold shower."</p>
<p>He moves his hands down her back and rest on the top of her shoulders. "Your kind words warm my heart."</p>
<p>She laughs, looking into those black eyes and smiling again. "Sorry, but you put it on a silver platter."</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh and continues walking beside her, his body visibly brushing against her, managing to unleash a chill on Chloe's skin.</p>
<p>She whispers "You really get to the point."</p>
<p>"The world is already busy turning us around."</p>
<p>She opens her mouth to speak, but the words don't come out. The frustration stresses him, she knows it. He's tired of mulling it over, of her avoiding his ways, when he just wants to get close to her in a way that he has never before been attractive to someone else.</p>
<p>"What the hell, Chloe?" he asks, getting even closer to her than possible. He takes her face and forces her to look at him. "It's been a week, almost two. I'm going completely crazy here! Why can't we just be together? What's wrong with that?"</p>
<p>Chloe sighs, shaking her head, trying her best to put some distance between them, but it's not working. His touch, his smell, his look is intoxicating. "I…"</p>
<p>"Mommy, hurry up, Dan is leaving too! You have to say good night!" the girl says happily.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Silence is his companion on the way to Chloe's house. Trixie is too tired to protest and spreads fully onto the back seat. Chloe watches her chest rise and fall peacefully in complete tranquility.</p>
<p>A look of affection burns Lucifer's heart when he realizes how much he cares about the beautiful woman sitting next to him and the little girl who rests behind.</p>
<p>Five minutes later they are at their destination. His arms are loaded as he rushes to pick up the little one and insists on carrying her to bed.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Chloe changes Trixie into cotton pajamas covered in colorful dinosaurs. She places her on the small bed, covering her with blankets and kisses her cheek sweetly.</p>
<p>A look on Lucifer's face tells her he wants to do the same and she slowly nods.</p>
<p>A smile crosses her face, taking detail in the decoration of Trixie's room - a lot of pink and blue. Lots of animated characters stand out.</p>
<p>"Sweet dreams, urchin" he whispers, kissing Trixie's forehead. A real smile blooms on his face and an emotion unlike any other catches his heart.</p>
<p>                                                           </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe offers him a cup of tea and he gladly nods, although he doesn't really like tea very much, but he guesses it helps quell those crazy cravings that destroy her stomach with every passing moment.</p>
<p>He sits in the chair and leans across the table, looking into her eyes. He is the one who breaks that moment of strange discomfort when he realizes that he is watching her with a look of hope marked in his eyes. Chloe sees the wall they built around the world collapse as he begins to speak.</p>
<p>"I really wish we could try this thing." His hands move constantly, she knows he's nervous. "See if it could really work between us. I know what you said before. Why talk about it again?"</p>
<p>His throat dries up and he thanks the amber liquid that settles on him, takes a sip. Honey flavored cinnamon tea, indisputably something that is so her. "I know, right? The last time we spoke it was... I..."</p>
<p>He is babbling, something so typical of him, and he laments, taking a deep breath and running his hands through his hair. The search for comfort.</p>
<p>Unfortunately he does not find it.</p>
<p>"Friends?"</p>
<p>Lucifer looks away, a disappointment there that he hardly lets see.</p>
<p>"I think we both know we are beyond the friend stage," he says quietly. His gaze now on the ground. "I… you… are honestly something else."</p>
<p>“Don't say those things if you don't mean it. I do not like feeling like this. As if I am... I am..."</p>
<p>"Vulnerable?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Well, you're not. You're not the one putting your heart out there and waiting for an answer," Lucifer continues. “I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Not if you don't want me to. If you really want me to go... I'll go. But, if you want me to stay..." his voice lowers, searching her eyes for something. Anything.</p>
<p>"I don't want you to go!"</p>
<p>He gives her a sad smile. "Then I won't. If you want us to be friends. It's fine. I can settle for that. But don't ask me to give up, because I honestly won't."</p>
<p>And when he says that to her, her cheeks slowly blossom into a pale pink color that Lucifer finds fascinating.</p>
<p>She should say something. But her words never come out.</p>
<p>She really is a bit puzzled. Had he said he wanted to... fight for her?</p>
<p>Her knees feel weak and her ears are ringing.</p>
<p>A smile settles on his face, confidence overflowing in him. How she understands the effect he has on her!</p>
<p>"I just record things as they are," he points out, trying to reach control of the television. "Shall we watch a movie?"</p>
<p>                                       </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Her messy curls are over her face, but he doesn't want to push them away. Everything about her is intoxicating. Her beauty. Her voice. Right now, Lucifer is getting drunk on her smell and the touch of her creamy skin. It smells like roses, and like encapsulated happiness. He smiles, pulling her closer to his chest. Her eyes remain closed; they have been just after the first hour of the film passed.</p>
<p>"I wish I was brave enough to say this while you're awake," he whispered into her hair, "I… really think I'm in love with you, Chloe Decker."</p>
<p> He says it out loud, but only silence receives his confession...</p>
<p>"Sweet dreams, Chloe."</p>
<p>
  <strong>TBC… </strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TBC…<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.<br/>Comments are small incentives for the writer. =)<br/>What do you think of this chapter?<br/>Please let me know your opinion on this.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Setting Parameters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I'm back. OMG! I don´t even know what to say. I´m very happy with the comments of this story. Thank you all for being so kind.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter. <br/>Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me. <br/>I invite you to read my other stories: Friday I'm In Love and The Devil with Green Eyes<br/>Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Lucifer. <br/>A hug, have a good day</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe enters the kitchen and listens to the mixed laughter. Lucifer is with his back to her, leaning against the table while Trixie draws a couple of things for him.</p>
<p>They exchange a look of complicity before Trixie subtly stores the drawings in her backpack.</p>
<p>Over time she will find out what these two are up to.</p>
<p>"A plan forged between you and my daughter? There are only five hundred different scenarios going through my mind right now."</p>
<p>He turns to her with a smile of complicity. "Usually we would work on evil plans, but you can't do that in the middle of the kitchen."</p>
<p>Chloe gives them a stern look and they both shrug their shoulders, pretending innocence.</p>
<p>"Mom, I missed you!" the little one shrieks, gaining all the attention for herself.</p>
<p>"I missed you too, monkey." She kisses her cheek sweetly and hugs her for a few seconds.</p>
<p>"Did you know that Lucifer had a monkey as pet once?" she shouts excitedly with wide eyes. "Can I have one, too?"</p>
<p>"I don't think so, honey," she replies in a reassuring voice while stirring her hair. "We already have Rocco and we don't want him to be jealous of a new pet, right?"</p>
<p>Trixie groans, pouting. "But..." she groans again. "Mom, they could be friends."</p>
<p>"Your Mom is right urchin. Exotic animals are hard to maintain, especially because of the city's climate."</p>
<p>The child doesn't seem convinced of the adults' allegations.</p>
<p>"We can always go to the zoo," Lucifer points smiling.</p>
<p>Trixie's mouth opens, and Lucifer knows he's hit the spot.</p>
<p>"The three of us?"</p>
<p>"Only if your Mom agrees," Lucifer responds with a look directed towards Chloe.</p>
<p>"Please Mommy, say yes!" The little girl smiles, jumping from side to side.</p>
<p>She laughs, nodding quickly. "Only if you show me that you've finished your homework."</p>
<p>Needless to say, the girl is already running to her room in search of her notebook.</p>
<p>"Using my daughter as an excuse to go out is something low, even for you, Morningstar."</p>
<p>He gives her a lascivious look and a smile full of perfect teeth. "You haven't heard, Chloe. I rarely play fair."</p>
<p>"Do you have to always be so" -</p>
<p>"Witty?" He gives her a look and a completely sincere smile. "It's part of the curse, but you know someone has to be perfect."</p>
<p>"Keep saying that, you'll eventually convince people," she teases.</p>
<p>"Oh! You can really hurt a man's feelings."</p>
<p>From his lips hangs a smile that he dares not let go. He watches her with fascination - another reason for her to continue appearing in his dreams. Unfortunately, she interrupts his thoughts.</p>
<p>"I must remind you about Gabriel Soto's birthday party. At seven. You have to go, " she says with a look.</p>
<p>Lucifer sighs heavily and nods reluctantly. How he hates such parties, full of hypocrites with basic smiles and flirtatious looks!</p>
<p>An idea illuminates him as he speaks, smiling mischievously at her. "I must remind you that as a friend of Gabriel, you have to go with me. Make sure my behavior is faultless."</p>
<p>"Good," she answers simply. "But this isn't a date, Lucifer."</p>
<p>"I would say that with a little less yearning in my voice," he laughs.</p>
<p>She hates being so transparent to him.</p>
<p>A complacent smile curls on his lips as he responds "I passed by you." He stepped closer to her, allows himself to touch her hair and place a loose strand behind her ear. His eyes never turn away and she feels dizzy, an effect completely provided by him, his scent, his closeness. They do very intense things for Chloe. God, how she hates feeling like a teenager again.</p>
<p>He catches her reaction and releases her hair. "And, Chloe… it's a date!"</p>
<p>He smiles casually as he leaves her speechless.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Hours later.</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ella gives Chloe one of those looks that can make you pale in an instant. "Why did you dress for him?"</p>
<p>"Of course I'm not dressing for him!" Chloe replies, fixing her hair Thin waves fall on the shoulders of her dress.</p>
<p>"Sure," Ella adds without believing anything for a second. "So, why do you want to look so beautiful for a simple birthday party?"</p>
<p>Chloe looks at her friend, but Ella just smiles.</p>
<p>Chloe bites her lips. "Well, I might want Lucifer to just gape at me tonight."</p>
<p>"That's my girl!" Ella says proudly.</p>
<p>"Mom! Who are you dancing with tonight?" Trixie asks suddenly, throwing herself onto the bed.</p>
<p>When the lack of an appropriate response doesn't come from any of the women in the room, she responds herself.</p>
<p>"I think you're going to dance with Lucifer!" she says smiling, a mischievous smile.</p>
<p>Ella smiles.</p>
<p>Her eyebrows come together as she adds "He's great and a good match, Mom."</p>
<p>"Look who convinced the cat!" Ella laughs at the position the little one has assumed.</p>
<p>Trixie smiles amusedly at her babysitter's accusation. "Mom's going out with Lucifer on a date," she says, wrapping her fingers between the fringes of her pajamas.</p>
<p>The blonde woman laughs and shakes her head. "We are only friends!"</p>
<p>"Friends? Like Sam and Ella?" she asks, with her eyes open.</p>
<p>Ella lets out an indignant shout. She laughs when she remembers how she denied her relationship with her current boyfriend for almost three weeks by saying they were just friends.</p>
<p>Chloe responds "Not yet!"</p>
<p>"But maybe?" She's hopeful as she points out the obvious. "Mom, You'll have a boyfriend like Ella."</p>
<p>Chloe is unable to say anything else, her daughter continues to speak animatedly.</p>
<p>"Mommy, Lucifer is here!" Trixie screams louder than necessary, and a smile of complicity weaves over her lips as she stops at the doorway.</p>
<p>"Do you know what you have to do?" She listens to the child's question, but the man's response is far from falling into her hearing.</p>
<p>Who knows what madness these two are planning?</p>
<p>A series of laughs continue as she descends the stairs, dressed to the nines. Her red dress flows freely over her body, she doesn't have braces but it fastens to each curve and her torso in a way that makes her look beautiful. However, the perfect touch is given by the heart-shaped neckline and the small brooch on shiny gold located in its center. She's pulled her hair back with the help of a pin and curled it away from her face. The set is completed with the Gucci shoes that Candy had given her a couple of weeks ago.</p>
<p>Lucifer looks at her, his eyes wide, pupils fully dilated. He swallows at the feel of his heart beating rapidly, trying to rise to his throat while his eyes travel slowly over her vision. She looks lovely.</p>
<p>The little one attentively observes the exchange of looks between the two and nods, a smile playing on her lips.</p>
<p>When she approaches, her eyes shine, just like her creamy skin against the softness of the dress. Her lips fill with an air of sufficiency when she realizes the reaction he's having.</p>
<p>"What?" She blinks innocently, beating her eyelashes at him.</p>
<p>"You look like an angel who has descended from heaven," he manages to articulate eloquently, giving her one of those gallant smiles. She feels her cheeks burn. Her heart has skipped a couple of beats.</p>
<p>She chuckles. "Stop trying to make me blush!"</p>
<p>He smiles, leaning over, his lips are very close to her. "No."</p>
<p>She smiles, amused at him and his particular act of gallantry, even though it resonates danger. Take it on him tonight. Her eyes meet as she details his appearance: his properly-combed hair, tuxedo, white shirt and charming smile make him a man worthy of attention.</p>
<p>"Now who's watching?" he jokes.</p>
<p>“Don't gloat!” she teases, following his game.</p>
<p>"So, you don't find me attractive?" His captivating gaze is on her, trying to get a reaction.</p>
<p>The blush intensifies on her face. She smiles again, making him weak with that dazzling smile only she possesses. Now she looks at him with wide eyes, and her smile widens for every second that passes. "I mean... you don't look so bad."</p>
<p>"I'm going to take what I can get!" Lucifer nods, knowing that the first response was the honest one.</p>
<p>Her talkative response dies on her lips as Ella appears to let her know that Trixie should already be in bed.</p>
<p>The little girl lets out a sigh and pouts before her babysitter's words.</p>
<p>"I'm not tired!" she begins.</p>
<p>"Come on baby, it's time to rest. It's been a long day." The words are easy on the brunette woman's lips, soft and full of love.</p>
<p>Chloe crouches next to her. "Give Mom a kiss," she whispers, and her hands touch both sides of her face with affection that Lucifer finds particularly endearing.</p>
<p>It's one of those images that makes his heart contract.</p>
<p>The girl kisses her and wraps her hands around her mother, rejoicing to be in her warm presence. A melody escapes Chloe's lips, Lucifer realizes. He's unable to stop smiling.</p>
<p>"I love you Mommy," she says between yawns.</p>
<p>"I love you monkey, good night!" She kisses her back, pulling her up.</p>
<p>Five minutes later the girl is a light weight in Ella's arms. They make their departure.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The place is impeccable, elegant, and with an air of the 40s. That's the first thing she notices.</p>
<p>Gabriel Soto and his 75th birthday are the only things that have been talked about for weeks in the recint, and practically throughout the city.</p>
<p>The man is a symbol of admiration and respect. Not only at the corporate level, but at the ecological, humanistic and medical levels, too.</p>
<p>He's one of the main suppliers of LAPD.</p>
<p>The winner of numerous awards in environmental conservation, and the owner of companies responsible for the development of sustainable energy, biodegradable material and water purification. In addition to being a billionaire of almost four generations of financial management companies in cities like New York, Cairo, London and Berlin.</p>
<p>The tight, medium-sized man is friendly and has a smile that could melt an iceberg, so Chloe instantly feels comfortable being in his presence.</p>
<p>Even Lucifer manages to behave like a gentleman with the older man.</p>
<p>Both congratulate him and provide his best wishes.</p>
<p>Gabriel just smiles, kisses Chloe's bare hand, gives Lucifer a considered mischievous look, as he whispers that Lucifer should never let her go.</p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't reply. He promises himself that it will never happen.</p>
<p>It's physically and mentally distressing to imagine being without her.</p>
<p>And without Trixie.</p>
<p>No…he can't.</p>
<p>So tonight will be the night he gets Chloe Decker.</p>
<p>He sighs. Who is he kidding?</p>
<p>She's the only woman with whom his tricks seem to never work.</p>
<p>However, a devil can dream. That is what he says to himself.</p>
<p>Or he can simply try to be honest.</p>
<p>Lucifer decides on the second option. Less appealing, but much more real.</p>
<p>As real as what he wants to get from her.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He can't contain himself, not when she's beside him looking spectacularly tempting.</p>
<p>He tries not to touch her, but she's irresistible.</p>
<p>Unable to let his hands go near her.</p>
<p>Dear father! When did he become a teenager again?</p>
<p>She seems not to notice and he thanks the heavens for it.</p>
<p>Come on, he says to himself, arming himself with courage. Ask her.</p>
<p>"Is Sunday a busy day for you?"</p>
<p>"I could fix my agenda."</p>
<p>"I hope so." He turns to face her with a mischievous smile. "I have plans for you, Chloe Decker."</p>
<p>Her lips twist into a nervous smile. "Plans?"</p>
<p>His smile widens. "You don't want to spoil the fun, right?"</p>
<p>"Well, maybe I have some ideas."</p>
<p>"Seriously?" His eyes get hot. "I would be very interested in hearing what they are."</p>
<p>She laughs when she sees the mischievous look in his eyes, letting him know that she isn't one of those women who play with him.</p>
<p>"Well, you don't want me to spoil your fun, right?" </p>
<p>He smiles a playful smile. "No, I have a list of things that can make you happy, strictly detailed."</p>
<p>Her eyes open in understanding at the meaning of his words. "Trixie's talked to you?"</p>
<p>His lips curl in a lazy smile. "As a matter of fact, she did. It was very revealing."</p>
<p>Chloe has no words. She's run out of them.</p>
<p> "I'm sure you understand." His voice is light and sweet as she still says nothing. "Beatrice cares about you. She wants to see you happy."</p>
<p>"Do you think so?" she asks.</p>
<p>He nods "Yes. And I'm really trying to make you happy, to do it right, Chloe," he whispers softly.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The night is perfect. He can't ask for more.</p>
<p>And then the 'lovely' person attacks again.</p>
<p>Adam something. With his stupid smile and stupid suit perfectly aligned to every muscle in his body.</p>
<p>The man who appeared out of nowhere.</p>
<p>The man who was Chloe's childhood friend;  now he wants to have her close. Be in her life, and recover the old person bond that united them.</p>
<p>The man kisses Chloe's cheek and smiles at her with a charm practiced in front of the mirror, that's for sure.</p>
<p>Lucifer sees red.</p>
<p>"You look beautiful, Chloe!" Adam flatters her with a flirtatious smile which doesn't go unnoticed by the chestnut-haired man. "I would love to have the honor of dancing with you."</p>
<p>"She already has someone to dance with," Lucifer declares emphatically, reaching her side, a hand possessively set on her waist.</p>
<p>The blond man just huffs at the authoritarian and clearly jealous attitude.</p>
<p>But Adam has no time for games, let alone those that involve jealous girlfriends.</p>
<p>"When you don't need a babysitter, call me, Chloe!" He says goodbye, depositing a kiss on her cheek.</p>
<p>"Do you have to be such a jerk all the time, or is it only when I'm present?" Chloe demands.</p>
<p> Is it a trick question?</p>
<p>There is a brief pause in which Lucifer considers the most sensible way to respond, but unfortunately, she leaves.</p>
<p>But Lucifer being Lucifer, isn't fit to take a hint and follows her to the bar fifteen minutes later.</p>
<p>She turned sharply toward him. "Are you trying to provoke me on purpose, or what?"</p>
<p>"I enjoy that adorable look that happens when you're angry, but right now I'm being honest."</p>
<p>"Oh, well thank God for that."</p>
<p>Chloe breaks her gaze to finish her drink, although there is a tingling sensation on her shoulders, as the chestnut-haired man's attention lingers on her, longer than it should.</p>
<p>"I hate that man near you, and I won't say it again!" Lucifer thundered.</p>
<p>"Stop being a child, Lucifer."</p>
<p>"Am I being a child?"</p>
<p>"Yes, you are!" Chloe shrugs her shoulders, giving him an emphatic look.</p>
<p>"You're the one who smiles at me and then runs every time I try to approach you." Lucifer defends himself.</p>
<p>"You're are the one who thinks he's my owner!" she retorts.</p>
<p>"Chloe..." Lucifer warns. "That isn't so, I'm your friend!" The word burns his throat as it comes out of his mouth. He wants to be something more, much more.</p>
<p>"Seriously?" she mutters. "My mistake."</p>
<p>Lucifer opens his mouth to say something comically inappropriate, but is silenced by Chloe's irritated look.</p>
<p>Chloe glares at him. "Let's dance," she mutters to herself. Because it's humanly impossible to be angry with someone so attractive and mysterious.</p>
<p>Lucifer places one hand on her shoulder while the other remains intertwined with his. She involuntarily holds her breath as she feels Lucifer pull her a little closer together than she expected. With fixed gazes, both begin to move along with the music.</p>
<p>"You're an excellent dancer," he says after a while, trying to get her to look at him again.</p>
<p>"Thank you." She smiles, lifting her chin.</p>
<p>By all the gods, Chloe feels good. She's warm and scented, and... blushing at his closeness? He smiles, glad that he isn't the only one reacting to this inevitable connection between them. So he pulls her even more close towards him.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?" The chestnut-haired woman asks, her tone rising a few octaves.</p>
<p>He laughs. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to seduce you. After all, you're too smart for that, aren't you?"</p>
<p>He arches an eyebrow, his smile growing at Chloe's lack of a response.</p>
<p>She tilts her head, suppressing a smile. "Could you act, for a second, as if you were not the king of the universe?"</p>
<p>A mischievous look slips from his face. He bites his lip and approaches her slowly. She hates how confident he looks when she can only think about how strong her heart beats and the perfume that seems to overflow from the chestnut-haired man's own skin, an intoxicating scent that turned her legs turned to jelly after five seconds.</p>
<p>He always smiles elegantly, seductive and captivating. He rests his hand gently on her cheek and she closes her eyes at his touch. He is so gentle that she discovers how different he can be so close to her. His hand burns on her skin, but another sensation besides the heat travels through her body. There is an unspoken feeling of peace, sweetness and something else.</p>
<p>When his hand moves away, she feels the loss, quickly replaced with a chaste kiss provided by the dark-haired man's lips.</p>
<p>She closes her eyes – but he is already gone. Not without first adding: "When you can breathe again" - Lucifer points toward the stairs - "I'll be outside."</p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucifer doesn't remember falling in love with Chloe Decker, and he has no idea how he could stop.</p>
<p>Everything about her is intoxicating. Glimpsing her under the moonlight must be one of the things he should add to his list of beautiful things that life has offered him. Her hair curls against the wind; her eyes are closed, enjoying the warmth of the air against her skin.</p>
<p>Lord!</p>
<p>At that moment he swears he's never seen a woman as beautiful as she.</p>
<p>He stares at her with his penetrating fiery gaze. "Dazzling in each of the senses." His voice is low and seductive.</p>
<p>Chloe looks up, her eyes fixed on him. Her heart makes a small jump full of pure nerves. It's those piercing blue eyes, the ones that shatter her heart in a way she can't explain, threatening with every flickering look to steal her breath, if she decides to lose herself in them. She smiles at him and he somehow finds his curved lips matching hers.</p>
<p>"Lucifer?"</p>
<p> He smiles, examining the woman in front of him and observing the blush on her cheeks.</p>
<p>"Will you let me talk to you?" Her voice was full, even to his ears.</p>
<p>She crosses her arms, giving him a cheeky look. "Me first!"</p>
<p>His lips curved in a smile. "Very good. Good try, deflecting the ball."</p>
<p>"Oh well, that's a great honor, coming from the king of deviation!"</p>
<p>"Chloe..." his tone warned her not to lie.</p>
<p>He holds his hand out to hers. Christ! His skin burns! His calloused fingers on her perform in a strong but surprisingly kind movement, and when his thumb draws intentional circles against the back of her hand, Chloe's eyes move to hers in surprise.</p>
<p>"I don't like feeling so out of my element," he confesses, turning to her.</p>
<p>Chloe swallows hard, trying to regain her clarity. "Out of your element, how?"</p>
<p>"I'm attracted to you, Chloe. I can't stop thinking about you, or wanting to see or touch you. And I find myself doing things that I don't usually do because I feel things I've never felt before. You have my heart, and there is no reason why I would like it not to be so."</p>
<p>Chloe's heart races against her chest, paralyzed by his admission. It's more than what she asked for and more than she expected.</p>
<p>"I am aware that your life has not been easy, and I understand," he continues. "But I assure you I'm not going anywhere. I just want you in my life. You and that wonderful daughter of yours."</p>
<p>He's struck by fear, she can tell. He's never asked to be loved before.</p>
<p>"I just want a chance," he finishes, staring at her.</p>
<p>She smiles, her face in her hands. She looks at him with her beautiful, expressive eyes, delighting in his gaze full of so many feelings, unable to place her finger on any of them. However, one feeling stands out and her belly throbs sweetly.</p>
<p>Love.</p>
<p>So she leans in and kisses him</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>What do you think?<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.<br/>What do you think Lucifer's reaction will be? 	<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TBC... More to come.<br/>Note: The letter of the beginning corresponds to the song: Smile. From Uncle Kracker. It's something old, but I like it a lot. Especially with this chapter.<br/>I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.<br/>If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.<br/>Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.<br/>Kisses and hugs.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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